A Quick Look At National Corvette Museum’s 2026 Plans

The National Corvette Museum (NCM) isn’t content with just dusting off vintage fenders and keeping them under spotlights. For the upcoming year, the team in Bowling Green is making a serious move to expand how they handle the history of America’s favorite sports car. The National Corvette Museum’s 2026 plans outline a massive push to show exactly what goes into keeping these cars alive, rather than just hiding them away in a dark vault.

The biggest shift starts on March 12 with the opening of the “Driven to Preserve” exhibit. Instead of the usual polished showroom vibe, this display digs into the actual labor of conservation. It brings out over a dozen rarely seen cars, including a modified 2003 Callaway Z06, to show the specific science involved in maintaining these machines. The museum staff describes it as an explanation of the “why” and “how” behind their work, giving visitors a look at the stewardship required to manage such a massive collection.

While the machinery is the main attraction, the story of the people behind the badge is getting an update too. A reimagined Corvette Hall of Fame is debuting to focus more on the personalities that built the brand. The anchor of this refresh is a 1974 Stingray that was owned by Zora Arkus-Duntov himself.

Having the personal car of the “Father of the Corvette” on the floor grounds the history in something real. To house all this, NCM has constructed a new 66,000-square-foot expansion. That addition is a huge part of the National Corvette Museum’s 2026 plans, solving storage headaches and eventually opening up for educational tours in 2027.

Outside the walls, the schedule is packed with over 20 global events, including the Michelin NCM Bash in April and the Hall of Fame Induction in September. The team also continues to support the R8C Museum Delivery program, which just marked its 20,000th handoff. The year rounds out with a nod to service members in November, offering them free admission during Military Appreciation Month. It’s abundantly clear that the National Corvette Museum is focused on keeping Corvette culture active rather than static. From new construction projects to their touring schedule, NCM’s 2026 plans prove that preserving the legacy means constant movement, not just parking cars and walking away.