I recommend visiting the Creation Museum first. Once the new exhibits open, you should plan on most of a day depending on how much you want to read followed by a stroll through the Botanical Gardens. Spend an entire day at the Ark and its associated exhibits, such as the zoo, and activities such as the carousel, and attend talks, plays, or a band. The best time to tour the Ark is after 3:00 pm or later when crowds are less dense. In the summer, one can stay until 8:00 pm weekdays. At each location’s web site, be sure to check the calendar under “Plan your visit” for optional programs and activities to enhance your visit. Or, you can get a schedule when you arrive. Emzara's Buffet at the Ark Encounter is a great place to eat lunch or supper.
NOTE: The second and third photos are from the Creation Museum. (1) It is important to keep in mind a pair of animal KINDS were brought onto the Ark due to the rich genetic material that early life forms possessed. For example, a cattle KIND was all that was needed which later gave rise to various cattle breeds. A felid kind generated all types of cats while a canid kind developed into all types of dog kinds. Also, all adult animals didn’t need to be brought onto the ark. In many/most cases, all that was needed was a male and female juvenile. (2) Natural selection results in different forms of a KIND and a loss of genetic material (e.g., different dog breeds) while evolution assumes an increase in genetic material, such as single cells tuning into a fish, a fish into an amphibian, etc., which is false.
The following are excerpts from the Introduction by Patrick Marsh in the book “Journey Through the Ark Encounter” available in the bookstore.
DECK ONE is filled with animal cages of various sizes, food stores in pots and bags, water storage, and everything needed to build a life over again: wagons, furniture, tools, raw materials, seeds, plants.
DECK TWO focuses on how Noah could build the Ark and care for the animals during the Flood. How did he acquire the necessary skills to build the Ark? How did he provide clean air, sunlight, water distribution, and waste removal? How could eight people care for all the animals on the ship and themselves for over a year? The exhibits provide realistic and researched solutions.
DECK THREE answers important questions related to the Flood and its effects on our world. Is there evidence for a global Flood? Was there an Ice Age? Was ancient man highly advanced? Most importantly, it explains the Gospel and the main purpose of the Ark Encounter: to lead people to Christ—our Ark who brings us through this life to eternal safety if we place our trust in Him.
ARTISTIC LICENSE by AIG: When our designers and content writers were preparing exhibits for the Ark Encounter, they wanted to make the experience as authentic as possible. Since the Bible does not provide every detail the designers needed, artistic license was used, taking great care not to contradict biblical details. Learn more about how, when, and why we sometimes used artistic license at the Ark Encounter below.
Details like naming the women enhance the overall guest experience. They should not, in any way, be considered attempts to add our ideas to the Bible. Additional signage can be found in the exhibits that contain significant amounts of artistic license to help visitors discern between Scripture and elements of artistic license.
The Ark’s animals may look different than many people expect. Whenever possible, the creatures we crafted were based on fossils found in rock layers considered by researchers to have been deposited soon after the Flood. While this provides a good basis for the size and shape of the animals, license was taken to develop the unpreserved details, such as the color of scales, fur, or feathers.
The Bible gives some specifics about Noah (e.g., righteous man, husband, father), but it does not tell us what he looked like, how he dressed, or even what his hobbies might have been. We are told even less about his family. Scripture does not even reveal the names of his wife and his daughters-in-law. Artistic license was taken to name these four women, develop their backstories, and craft their appearances.
The Bible provides a few details about the ark (e.g., dimensions, three decks, coated inside and outside with pitch), but it does not explain every aspect needed for us to recreate an exact replica. Our Ark is based on the biblical data and shipbuilding research, but we used artistic license in many areas, including the design of the ship’s interior and exterior structure as well as the mechanisms for animal feeding and waste removal.
NOTE: The second and third photos are from the Creation Museum. (1) It is important to keep in mind a pair of animal KINDS were brought onto the Ark due to the rich genetic material that early life forms possessed. For example, a cattle KIND was all that was needed which later gave rise to various cattle breeds. A felid kind generated all types of cats while a canid kind developed into all types of dog kinds. Also, all adult animals didn’t need to be brought onto the ark. In many/most cases, all that was needed was a male and female juvenile. (2) Natural selection results in different forms of a KIND and a loss of genetic material (e.g., different dog breeds) while evolution assumes an increase in genetic material, such as single cells tuning into a fish, a fish into an amphibian, etc., which is false.
The following are excerpts from the Introduction by Patrick Marsh in the book “Journey Through the Ark Encounter” available in the bookstore.
DECK ONE is filled with animal cages of various sizes, food stores in pots and bags, water storage, and everything needed to build a life over again: wagons, furniture, tools, raw materials, seeds, plants.
DECK TWO focuses on how Noah could build the Ark and care for the animals during the Flood. How did he acquire the necessary skills to build the Ark? How did he provide clean air, sunlight, water distribution, and waste removal? How could eight people care for all the animals on the ship and themselves for over a year? The exhibits provide realistic and researched solutions.
DECK THREE answers important questions related to the Flood and its effects on our world. Is there evidence for a global Flood? Was there an Ice Age? Was ancient man highly advanced? Most importantly, it explains the Gospel and the main purpose of the Ark Encounter: to lead people to Christ—our Ark who brings us through this life to eternal safety if we place our trust in Him.
ARTISTIC LICENSE by AIG: When our designers and content writers were preparing exhibits for the Ark Encounter, they wanted to make the experience as authentic as possible. Since the Bible does not provide every detail the designers needed, artistic license was used, taking great care not to contradict biblical details. Learn more about how, when, and why we sometimes used artistic license at the Ark Encounter below.
Details like naming the women enhance the overall guest experience. They should not, in any way, be considered attempts to add our ideas to the Bible. Additional signage can be found in the exhibits that contain significant amounts of artistic license to help visitors discern between Scripture and elements of artistic license.
The Ark’s animals may look different than many people expect. Whenever possible, the creatures we crafted were based on fossils found in rock layers considered by researchers to have been deposited soon after the Flood. While this provides a good basis for the size and shape of the animals, license was taken to develop the unpreserved details, such as the color of scales, fur, or feathers.
The Bible gives some specifics about Noah (e.g., righteous man, husband, father), but it does not tell us what he looked like, how he dressed, or even what his hobbies might have been. We are told even less about his family. Scripture does not even reveal the names of his wife and his daughters-in-law. Artistic license was taken to name these four women, develop their backstories, and craft their appearances.
The Bible provides a few details about the ark (e.g., dimensions, three decks, coated inside and outside with pitch), but it does not explain every aspect needed for us to recreate an exact replica. Our Ark is based on the biblical data and shipbuilding research, but we used artistic license in many areas, including the design of the ship’s interior and exterior structure as well as the mechanisms for animal feeding and waste removal.
© David D. Dolton