Our Visit to the Ark Encounter

 I am sitting here listening to Buddy Davis sing on Answers TV, and thinking about our recent visit to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. 

I presume most of my readers have heard about it, but, in case you don't know, there is a huge, luxurious ship in the middle of Kentucky! No, this isn't a scam! It is really there, and you should go visit it if you get a chance.

To be honest I, on my SAHM budget of ... umm... (opening my wallet.... looking at my bank account...) $0. 😟 I couldn't afford to visit the Ark Encounter, or the Creation Museum. Let alone BOTH!! Not to mention, I live 2,430 miles away. 

But, thanks to some very persuasive relatives of mine, Jojo (my 11-year-old son) and I found ourselves in Kentucky! It's hard to say no, when someone offers to pay your way! (Thank you so much cousins! 💕 )

Admission was about $60 for me and $30 for Jojo. To compare, a theme park in our state, Wild Waves, charges the same amount, so, evidently this is a reasonable price. But, I don't often frequent theme parks, so, it sounded like a lot to me! It was hard for me to swallow my pride and let someone else pay that much for me and my son to visit the big, wooden boat!

To compare with my lifestyle: the small, county fair near us has free admission. The creation museum near Mt. St. Helens (our mountain), about 30 miles from our house, is by donation. The county museum in town is also by donation. So, I guess we are spoiled. We even camp for free by doing dispersal camping in the nearby National Forest. 

Yah, my expectations were unrealistic for sure! Nothing is really "free". Someone pays. And, wow! Some people really put a lot of time and money into this massive structure. They spared no expense! 

My husband works in a sawmill and we live in the woods, so I kind of have an idea of the value of wood. 

There is a timber framing business in our little town. I know some of the people who work there. They are very particular about the logs they use. The trees are carefully chosen and cut at the correct time of the year. Their customers are in a very different tax bracket than anyone I know personally. Yet, even these very rich people, can usually only afford to frame the entrance to their house. I couldn't wrap my head around how much it must have cost to build the Ark Encounter using such huge, beautiful, sturdy logs! 

The exhibits are very well done! You can ask "Noah" questions and he will answer you! The cages have a system for feeding and watering several animals at once. The library has a scroll for each book that evidence suggests may have been written prior to the flood. 

They did very thorough research on everything. There are so many details and everything is purposeful. If I lived close, I would love to buy the season pass and visit often. I think a person could visit several times and see things they hadn't noticed before.

But, my experience may very well be very different than yours. Here is where I am coming from:

I was raised as a homeschooler in the 80's. Ken Ham (our modern-day 'Noah') used to come to our homeschool conventions. He was so much fun to listen to and explained everything so clearly. As I homeschooled my kids, my parents often gave us the Answers for Kids, and other literature from "Answers in Genesis". I am currently homeschooling my youngest, Jojo. He has grown up with dinosaur books from AiG and watching videos of  "The Wild Brothers" and "Buddy Davis." My cousins' kids were really hoping to see Buddy Davis in person, as he is a celebrity in our circle!

Jojo ran through that ark like he had been there before. He glanced at the signs and claimed he already knew it all (To be honest, while I am sure there must have been something there that he didn't already know, he probably does know a lot of it). He said, "Hi" to Noah and the dove. He appreciated the correlation between Jesus and the door of the ark. And then he asked if we could go to the virtual reality building. He had money he had earned from mowing lawns and said he could pay for both of us. I swallowed my pride again as my 11-year-old son pulled out a wad of his hard-earned money to pay for a few minutes of entertainment. It was really cool though! Jojo loved it! And, he had to actually sit still and listen! 😂 

Of course, my brain never stops philosophizing, and, um... judging (?)... or, maybe "critiquing" is a better word!  (My husband says that is why I get headaches so much- overthinking!)  

 I wondered what Ken Ham was thinking building this place. Why the admission was so high? It was obviously FOR PROFIT! In our Christian community we kind of look down on things that are done "for profit." Especially when the gospel is shared. The gospel should always be FREE!! Maybe we even kind of believe that Christians should not be rich. They should give their money away to help people less fortunate. Isn't that what Jesus said?

As I toured this massive structure and the surrounding attractions I saw it from two conflicting perspectives.

 On one hand it must have cost a lot to build this place. The upkeep must be quite a bit too. I'm sure Ken Ham has a lot of money by now with all of the helpful and informative literature he has authored. He could have kept his money for him and his family. He could be retired now and living a quiet life back in his home country of Australia. But, instead, he is on the front lines. Speaking the truth, no matter the cost. But, he chose to buy high quality materials and hire like-minded people to realize this dream. It may seem silly to some. But, there are a lot stranger things people have spent money on.

 The other perspective was people like me. People who save up, sometimes for years, to go on their dream vacation. Families struggling to survive on one income. Christians who believe in the Bible, and already read the Book. Mom's with 11-year-old boys who already know all the answers.  And, families with little kids who still take naps! A more reasonable admission price would be $30 for adults, $20 for youth, and free for kids 12 and younger. 

But, maybe that amount wouldn't be sustainable. The Ark Encounter does have a very important message, and it is hard to put a price tag on that. Maybe they need to charge as much as they do to keep it running. I'm not a business woman. What do I know?

Attractions by Age Group

Kids 1-10  

    It is free this year for this age group! I hope they keep it free. The little kids might get bored reading all the big signs, but someone thought that through very well. There are a lot of cool things for them to see, right at their height. Some little kids in our group were scared by the loud thunderstorm at the beginning, so headphones might be a good idea. There is a room off to the side with scary animals (not real- there are no real animals on the ark itself). My son led his little cousins through it without realizing how scary it was and regretted that! Poor kids! Hopefully they weren't traumatized for life! 

    If you have little kids I would suggest planning to spend more time outside. We didn't know this and ended up not having time to see the zoo as a group. Jojo and I ran through the zoo on our own though.

    The playground is absolutely the coolest playground ever! The kids could spend hours playing there. I think, if we go again in ten years or so, and have little kids with us (this is a hint to my adult children!), we should take two days to tour the Ark. I would suggest taking the kids through the Ark at a steady pace and then riding the carousel and visiting the zoo the first day. The second day, I would bring lunch and let the kids play on the playground and snack while the adults and teens take turns touring the ark at a slower pace. 

Ages 11- 18

    Young people might need to slow down and be encouraged to read the signs. Have them watch videos in preparation for visiting so they know what to look for. There are videos, on Answers TV, of Ken Ham explaining specific things to look for. I wish I had thought to look for them before we visited. I think Jojo would have paid a bit more attention if his Mom had prepared him better! 

    The playground is still fun and appropriate for big kids, but it won't keep them busy for long. The zoo is actually pretty cool, though small. It will only take a few minutes for kids in this age group to see all the animals. I never did find the petting zoo, but I guess there is one. We ran out of time.

Jojo and I listened to an animal presentation in the zoo. It was so refreshing to hear everything they said be based on our worldview! Of course, Jojo said he didn't learn anything new. But, I thought it was very well done and informative (I guess it wasn't new information for me either, but I appreciate repetition at my age! 😂)

 Again, I wish they didn't charge so much for this age group. I'm guessing that most people in this age group, who visit the Ark, will already be familiar with most of the information presented. A bit too old to be impressed by the models of people, the cute animals and pretty lights. A bit too young to think critically about the logistics of the building. 

    Most everything inside the ark is enjoyed through only two senses. It would be great if they had live actors, or activities. -make it more of a living-history experience. -a scavenger hunt, or mystery solving game for the tweens to play. (maybe they do and I just didn't know) Or, "chores" to do to win cheap prizes. Something to make it challenging for young people who already know the information presented. Maybe even contests they can join. -build a miniature model ark and see if it holds up in a small wave pool, or something. Get these hands doing stuff! 

    The virtual reality experience is cool for tweens and young teens. I'm not sure if older teens would be impressed. It is a high quality experience. Very well done, as is everything at the Ark Encounter.

    The carousel is large and in it's own area. It is really nice. Jojo ended up riding on it and having fun. The music is great! I think it would be great if they had more rides, but then they would probably raise the price even more. If they put in more rides, I hope it is something geared towards this age group! 

    Kids this age should definitely bring plenty of their own money. There are lots of places to buy food inside and outside. The gift shops are well-stocked, but priced to make a profit! Mom and Dad won't want to hand out $7 for a cool magnet, or $5 for a deck of cards! So, if your kids like to spend money, they should come prepared. Everything is priced at typical theme park prices. 

Adults

     If you don't have kids in your group you can easily experience the Ark Encounter in one day! I would suggest going off season as it was super crowded when we went. Take your time to enjoy the experience at a leisurely pace. Read all of the signs. Look above you and all around. There are so many details that are easy to miss! 

    Take time to look up and down when you are in the center of the Ark. This is truly a remarkable building. It is very well-researched. Everything in the exhibit is there for a reason. Take your time and look at all of the details.

    There are short videos to watch throughout the Ark, so give yourself time to sit and enjoy them. Don't be embarrassed to ask "Noah" questions. He has some very thought out responses. 

    Walk through the zoo, ride the carousel, and eat lunch at the picnic tables next to the playground. Watch the children play and be thankful that you aren't at that stage anymore, and then have a twinge of sadness as you wonder why you didn't bring the grandkids. Next time! 

Another Idea

    IF you have wanted to visit the Ark, but have a hard time figuring out how to afford it, this is what I would suggest: 

    Get a subscription to Answers TV and explore the Ark virtually. 

    Save up a much smaller amount of money and visit Mt. St. Helens. You can camp in the National Forest for free! Castle Rock, Washington has the Mount Saint Helens Creation Center that has the same information you can get at the Ark for free! Give them a donation so they can keep their doors open. Sign up ahead of time to go on a tour guided by experts and actually experience what the Ark Encounter only tells you about. Walk in a canyon carved by a mudflow that got geologists all over the world questioning the millions of years theory. Dig your fingers into ash that is still here decades after the devastating explosion! See evidence of life returning much quicker than anyone expected! See their display of REAL dinosaur bones! The people there are so kind and knowledgeable. They are usually not too busy to sit and talk with you. They have personal account stories to share! 

    The little town of Castle Rock has a family friendly restaurant that serves the best pizza and has little games and rides in the back that still use quarters like they did in the 80's. They also have motels and parks and antique stores. 

    Let the kids out in the woods where they can run and holler and experience God's creation and be awed by the catastrophic remains of a relatively small volcanic eruption. 

    Be immersed in the experience! Look at the volcanic crater and the canyon; hear stories of personal experiences of this mini-catastrophe that taught Creation scientists much of what they now know; taste huckleberries that God caused to grow where so many people thought it would be impossible (because of the deep ash cause by the volcanic explosion); feel the ash, volcanic rock and dinosaur bones; smell the fresh mountain air and evergreen trees that grew where it was "impossible." Stand in Awe of God and His creation! 

    For more information visit:   https://www.mshcreationcenter.org

    [I'll write another blog about the Creation Museum in Kentucky later.]

    So, if you have the means to visit the Ark Encounter in Kentucky, USA, go for it! It is a remarkable experience! But, if you can't, don't feel like you are missing out! There are other ways to learn the same information. There are also other places to visit with your family that impress and educate about our world view. 

    If you have also visited a creation museum, or the Ark encounter, feel free to share your experience in the comments. Also, educate me on what a fair price is! 😁