Ark Encounter is a Christian religious and creationist theme park that opened in Grant County, Kentucky in 2016. Ark Encounter is operated by Answers in Genesis (AiG), a young Earth creationist (YEC) organization that also operates the Creation Museum 45 miles away in Petersburg, Kentucky. The centerpiece of the park is a large representation of Noah's Ark based on the Genesis flood narrative contained in the Bible. It is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.
The Ark Encounter opened on July 7, 2016, a date (7/7) chosen to correspond with Genesis 7:7: "And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood."
The ark contains 132 bays, each standing about 18 feet high, arranged into three decks.Visitors enter on the lowest deck and move between decks on ramps constructed through the center of the ark. Bays on the first deck contain models of some animals that AiG believes could have been on the ark; there are no live animals within the exhibit though there is a petting zoo on the grounds. The models are meant to represent "kinds" of animals, which AiG says gave rise to modern animals after the flood. Prior to the Ark's opening, media outlets reported it would feature models of dinosaurs and "Biblical unicorns".
The second deck contains more animal models, along with dioramas of Noah's workshop and a blacksmith. Bays on the third deck contain displays presenting what AiG believes might have happened inside and outside the ark during the flood. Displays in three of the bays include artifacts from the Green Collection and promote the Museum of the Bible, a Washington, D.C. attraction constructed by the Green family, who donated to the Ark Encounter's construction.
It wasn't real crowded today. I think part of that was because school is back in session. The weather was nice and not too hot. The lines were not long. If I went when it was hot, I might not have stayed if there was a line. It was a little warm inside the ark, but was a little cooler after lunch when some of the people has cleared out. We ate at the buffet inside the park. The food was very decent for a buffet and the price wasn't bad. It was $10.99 pp for seniors.
I'm so glad we visited the ark. I am not going to debate what is depicted here. I am a Jesus follower and I believe, whatever happened, God did it. This last picture is of the 2 big doors where all the animals and people entered. They are huge and in the Bible it says that after all the animals and Noah and his family had entered the ark, God shut the door. I kept thinking about that as I stood in front of those doors.
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