Encounter the Ark

This summer along our camping trip we made a stop at the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. We set aside one day for each museum and started at the Creation Museum since Creation happened before the Flood. See the Creation Museum post HERE.

Parking

There is plenty of parking and a shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the actual Ark Encounter. It was wonderful to ride up the side of the hill and round the corner to see the huge ark. Parking is $10/vehicle.

Tickets

For 2021 & 2022, admission for kids is free! You can get combo tickets for both museums also. Plan your days. When we were planning, we were told Fridays and weekends are the busiest. Purchasing your tickets ahead of time will save you some time in the lines. If you can print them ahead of time or make sure to have a screenshot of any barcodes that could be helpful. There is free wifi but during some moments our cell service was slow.

Food

There are plenty of places to eat. But you are allowed to bring your own food into the gates. We ate at Emzara’s Kitchen. It was delicious!

Animals

There’s a zoo outside. All animals inside are fake. But the zoo outside is wonderful. Our youngest even rode a camel!

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes // You will be walking a lot so keep those feet comfy.
• Backpack // It was much easier to carry our belongings in a backpack. We had snacks, water, and all the extras in one place.
• Water & snacks // There are lines to wait in and you’ll probably be there all day. Plan to need a snack.
• Sunscreen // You’ll be inside for the ark portion but there’s a playground and zoo outside.
• Money // You’ll probably buy some souvenirs. Every place we encountered did accept cards.

Gift Shops

There are shops in a few places but the largest gift shop is just before exiting the ark. You are allowed to go through the zoo and then go back into the gift shop. We hung out with all the animals we could before having to haul around the books we purchased.

Biblical Accuracy

Ken Ham & his people are all about the facts. There are signs telling you about the liberties taken for artistic nature. No one knows exactly how the animals were housed and fed but they have used information and historical context to estimate what the systems could have been. They also give Noah’s wife a name. Through it all, they do an excellent job while also using liberties but they are honest and forthcoming about that.

There are also portions of exhibits that take you through other things you might have heard about the ark shape or the flood. Not only do they inform you of the other theories, but they also share information about how they’ve come to their conclusions through both the biblical text and scientific research.

Places to Stay

Let’s be real, this thing is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We were camping for this vacation so we looked for great sites within driving distance for both the Ark and the Creation museums. We settled on Big Bone Lick State Park and it was amazing! More about our camping in the full vacation post.