red03vette

finally getting the chance to go to the Corvette museum! my wife and i made plans to go on a vacation and we ended up going to Kentucky, and we are taking the opportunity to visit one of the places on my bucket list! so stoked!

Macleod52

Excellent! My soon to be wife and I may go there this fall.

red03vette

awesome! i forgot to mention we are going at the end of July, and from where we live it's going to be a long trip even with flying . its almost 3000 miles away! i hope you two have a great time when you go. i just can't wait to see it all! any one that has been already have any tips? feel free to give tips or pointers, thanks

caddman11

I you have a rented car another great place to visit 100 miles away is Bardstown, home of Wild Turkey, Makers Mark, Jim Beam and about 15 other distilleries. Great time, free bourbon and free. Google "Bourbon Trail" to get info on the tour. I don't drink and it's still fun; and Woodford Reserve has the best bourbon *****, you just have to watch those.

Bill Curlee

The Corvette Museum tour is cool BUT, the Corvette Factory Tour is the *****!!

They changed who does the tour and I "THINK" you have to register in advance. You should check it out ahead of time:

Here is the info:

http://www.corvettemuseum.org/visit/plant-tours/



Plant Tours

In 1981, General Motors moved production of the Chevrolet Corvette from St. Louis, MO to Bowling Green, KY. Known as “America’s Sports Car,” visitors can watch an icon in the making. The Corvette is the world’s longest-running, continuously produced passenger car with more than 1.6 million produced. The GM site consists of 212 acres, and the plant has one million square feet –equivalent to 22 acres or 17 football fields, under roof.

About the Tour: Chevrolet Corvette Public Plant Tours typically last one-hour, and are one-mile in length.

Cost:
$10 per person (adults)
$5 students age 10-16
$16 combo ticket (adults) includes both the Plant and Museum*
$10 combo ticket (students) includes both the Plant and Museum*

*Tickets must be used in the same day.

Tour Times: Tours are offered every 15 minutes beginning at 8:30am CT, Monday through Friday, with the last tour departing at 1:45pm. It is recommended that you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your tour time. Tours are based on availability and sell out quickly!

Please check tour times and note that certain times are not available due to assembly line breaks. This is a working factory and tours can be canceled at any time with no notice. If tours are canceled, you will be able to reschedule or receive a refund.

Reservations: Advanced tour reservations are currently required. Book your tour online here. Online purchases are not available within 24 hours of tour time.

Blackout Dates

April 4 – 11, 2016
May 30, 2016
June 24, 2016
June 27 – 30, 2016
July 1, 2016
July 4 – 8, 2016
September 5, 2016
November 8, 2016
November 11, 2016
November 24 – 25, 2016
December 26 – 30, 2016

What to Wear / What NOT to Bring:

For safety reasons, no crutches or walking assists are allowed at the plant. Wheelchairs are available at no charge. All visitors are required to wear closed toe and closed heel shoes (no spike heels or sandals). No cameras, backpacks, purses, fanny packs or other containers may be brought into the plant except by special request (for medical reasons, etc.) Also, all electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, or walkie-talkies are not allowed in the facility. These items must be left in your car. There are no holding facilities onsite for guests’ personal belongings.

Due to safety regulations within the plant, small infants/children in strollers, along with all children under the age of ten (10) will not be allowed to tour the facility.

School Groups

Students must be at least 10 years old. The student rate is $5 for students ages 10 – 16. There must be one adult for every 10 students taking the tour. The minor release waiver must be completed for each student visiting and brought with you the day of your plant tour. To book your school group, please contact Debbie Eaton debbie@corvettemuseum.org or by calling 270-467-8808.

*SPECIAL DISCLAIMER* GM has decided to invest $439 million into Bowling Green Assembly for a brand new paint shop and other facility upgrades! During this exciting time, construction may affect roads and parking areas. Please incorporate a few extra minutes into your travel schedule in case such circumstances arise, and be certain to pay special attention to signs. Enjoy your visit!

red03vette

wow! thanks so much for that! sounds like a good idea, maximum bang for buck! kinda like the Vette itself.

bradc6

I'm a lifetime member of the museum and try to get up there at least once a year. As mentioned above, the factory tour is great and is now run by the NCM instead of the interns who were hit and miss on their knowledge of the build process.

Drove up in my '66 last year, it's around 500 miles one way.

Bill Curlee

Ive made at least 8 trips to Bowling Green and became a LIFE TIME MEMBER of the Museum. Been to the Factory at each Visit. Ive seen them build C5s, C6s and the ZR1s They use to build the Caddy XLR there!

You will ALWAYS remember the Factory Tour!

When I purchased my 11 Grand Sport Vert, I did the Museum Delivery Option. They give you a SPECIAL TOUR and that is a higher level tour which I really appreciate and will never forget. In fact, while we were there the Factory was hit by a TORNADO! LMAO. No damage but we did have to head to the shelter and they did STOP PRODUCTION!

red03vette

Yeah! Awesome ride and picture!

red03vette

Very cool! So pumped!

Black & Tan

We have been to the factory and the museum a several times and really enjoy both - you're going to have a great time. I would suggest going to the factory first thing in the morning as that's a timed event. When you're done with that go over to the museum and you can spend whatever time you want there.

Vetteman Jack

You will have a blast. The NCM contains so much history on the car as well as excellent examples of the various models. While you are there, consider becoming a member if you are already not one.

tigers123

Did the plant tour. They were in the process of moving the engine assembly from flint to Bowling Green. The museum had the "hole" tour going on when I was there. Lot of bent up vettes from that collapse. You bring your VIN and you can get build sheet and window sticker for your car. I don't know what year they started, but take vin along and they will tell you. Enjoy! I would like to go back and see it again, and see if they got the track built next to the museum.

red03vette

Right on! Great tip on the VIN

Velocity_Vette

When you go into the museum, on the other side of where museum delivery is performed across from the gift shop there is a kiosk setup where a lot of Corvette freebies are given away. Good stuff, like owners brochures and DVDs and such that you'd normally have to pay for. I picked up a few things when I was there. At the time it was mostly C6 stuff since the C7 had just been released and I'm guessing they were trying to get rid of it all.

The gift shop is good for readily accessible hard to find Corvette stuff, especially for C5s. I thought I was never going to find a good light blue C5 shirt but they had one.

I didn't much care for the cafè and thought the food was rather sub-par. Some may have a different opinion than myself but honestly if you're making the trip there you might as well do as mentioned a ways above and do some exploring to other accessible areas of Tennessee and Kentucky.

They don't have a whole lot of C5 items on display but what they do have is pretty unique. They have one of only two C5 Le Mans homologation cars. These are the road cars that had to be built to satisfy FIA homologation for Le Mans. It the same as the C5R Le Mans car sans the rear spoiler and painted silver. They also have a C5 used for NHTSA crash testing purposes and a brand new bare chassis and drive train without the body (cool to see if you've never seen the meat of a C5). One of the models I really liked was at the time they had a C7 test mule. It was a C6, but with all the underpinnings of the C7. Pretty neat example. I believe since they opened up the sky dome again that there are a lot more stuff on display as had been before the sink hole. When I went the Blue Devil ZR1 had just been restored and it was cool to get a photo by it as it's one of my all time favorite Corvettes.

Chilliwack vettes

As mentioned already, do the plant tour! Check the NCM Motorsport park next to it for any events. Lots of caves to explore as well and distilleries. I did the Caravan '14 tour - over 7500 (s)miles round trip!

Peter

ajrothm

The trip is a total blast. My wife and I took a cross country road trip last year in my 71' from Houston to BG, did the Museum and Plant tours.... We really enjoyed the Plant tour more then the museum... I was kind of disappointed in the museum honestly, I expected a LOT more but.... Still a lot of fun...




Then headed on east through TN and to NC to run the Tail of the Dragon, and spend the weekend up in the mountains...


It was a trip of a life time... 2700 miles in 7 days, in a 650hp Big Block Vette with no OD, no FI, who'd a thunk it? LOL...


I can't recommend this enough, get your vettes out of the damn garage and drive them, regardless of how old/valuable they are....The experience you'll have and the memories you make are priceless..

Bill Curlee

I do a LOT of C5 TECH ASSIST and the Museum is an EXCELLENT place to take pictures of things that you are NOT normally able to see on an assembled C5 or C6.

So,, Take your camera and take LOTs of pictures. They have rolling frame only displays that will knock your socks off!!







You get to see the concept of how the hydro formed frame and all the frame parts are assembled!!!!

Bill

Glasact

You and your wife will have a fantabulous time visiting the museum.
A lot of Corvette history is presented but you have to read the placards and not just drool over the Vettes. My wife and I made the 330 mile trip from central Ohio last year and plan on another trip next year. You must visit the assembly plant next door as well while you are there. While you are in Kentucky, you may enjoy touring one the many distilleries or one of the many cave tours. I know we did

red03vette

very nice Vette you have there!