My Visit at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown Kentucky 2023
The Ark Encounter in beautiful Williamstown, Kentucky is a wonderful place of learning and fun that captures the story of Noah’s Ark as told in the book of Genesis. With its amazing exhibits, zip lines, and a life-size Noah’s Ark, this theme park draws visitors from everywhere. It’s a perfect mix of faith, history, and entertainment.
Ken Ham, a creationist and the CEO of Answers in Genesis built the Ark Encounter to bring the biblical story of Noah’s Ark to life. His vision was to create an immersive, educational experience that would help modern audiences connect with this ancient narrative in a tangible way. He believed that by recreating the Ark according to the biblical dimensions and offering engaging exhibits, he could enhance understanding and appreciation of this significant biblical event.
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Maximizing Your Visit to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum
With the 3-Day Bouncer Pass
If you are interested in visiting the Creation Museum too, I recommend getting the 3-day Bouncer pass. This combo ticket allowed us to explore both the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter at a discount. Getting the 3-day Bouncer pass is the best way to say money. The Bouncer Pass allowed us to freely visit both the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum as much as we wanted over three days within a week. If you are 60 and above ask about their senior discount. In addition to the senior discount, I highly recommend getting the parking pass. You will end up paying less and getting one day of free parking. Children 10 and under are free! See their site for the admission price here.
The Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum is about 40 min from each other.
Tip: To make the most of your visits to both the Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum, consider staying somewhere in between. We found Florence, KY, to be an ideal location. It’s just about 20 minutes from both attractions. This will save you travel time and let you enjoy both experiences without feeling rushed. To check out where we stayed during our trip, click here.
Getting to the Ark
Once you get to the parking lot, there is a free shuttle bus that takes you to the Ark Encounter. It’s about a 5-minute ride. The buses came frequently so we didn’t have to wait long. We entered a building that had a food area, restrooms, gifts, and books.
From this area there is a nice walk that leads to the ark. There is a beautiful rainbow arch we walked under. Along the way to the ark are beautiful gardening or landscaping. I particularly loved the elephant that was creatively shaped out of a bush.
Truth Traveler
An Immersive Journey Back to Noah's Time with Virtual Reality
As we were walking toward Noah’s Ark, we came across the Truth Traveler experience. This is a VR ride where you put on a headset, sit in a moving chair, and take a virtual journey through the building of the Ark, the flood itself, and a tour inside with the animals. There are a few surprise moments that make it especially fun and a little thrilling. We really enjoyed it, but keep in mind it’s not included with admission and does cost extra.
Tip: It’s best to try this in the late afternoon. When we arrived early, there was a long queue, but by late afternoon, there were only a few people.
Ark Encounter Food Places
While we didn’t dine at the restaurants, we did notice several dining options. Emzara’s Kitchen is the sole sit-down restaurant and it serves buffet items like fried chicken, pot roast, and mashed potatoes.
We also saw Noah’s Village which serves ice cream, burgers, pizza, and tacos. For a complete list and prices click here.
The Ark Encounter Employees
The Ark Encounter isn’t just impressive because of the exhibits, but also because of the people who work there. From the moment you arrive, the staff is friendly, welcoming, and ready to help. Everywhere we went, visitors seemed happy and well taken care of.
Whether they were directing parking, helping at the ticket counters, or answering questions inside the exhibits, the employees were always available. Their kindness and willingness to help really stood out and added to the overall experience.
The Ark Encounter: Largest Timber-Frame Structure
The Ark Encounter is the full-size Noah’s Ark. At 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high, this is the largest timber-frame structure in the world, built in proportion to the dimensions specified in the biblical text. The size of the Ark comes from the Bible’s book of Genesis.
Its sheer size is evident from the parking lot itself, with the Ark dominating the skyline from the long hill leading to the entrance. The Ark seems as large as a football field and as you approach it, a feeling of awe and wonder surrounds you. The meticulous detail and artistic license incorporated into the Ark’s design make it a masterpiece worth admiring.
The Ark Encounter
An Amazing Giant Structure
The Ark Encounter really feels like stepping back in time. Every detail, inside and out, shows how much care went into building it. It’s more than just a replica of Noah’s Ark from the Bible. It’s thoughtfully designed and beautifully done. The creative touches actually make it more engaging, turning the Ark into more than a massive structure. It feels like a place where the past truly comes alive.
Inside Noah's Ark
As you walk up, it’s hard not to be amazed by just how massive the Ark is. The detailed craftsmanship and creative design touches make it impressive before you even step inside.
Once inside, that sense of awe continues. The Ark spans three large floors filled with exhibits to explore, and the decks alone are enormous. It truly feels like stepping into another time. From top to bottom, inside and out, you can see the care and effort that went into every detail.
Inside the Ark: A Journey to the Pre-Flood World and the Great Flood
Venture inside the Ark to find a pre-flood world coming alive through various displays and digital animations. The exhibits within the Ark portray the worldwide flood, an event of biblical proportions that reshaped geological formations according to the Book of Genesis.
The jaw-dropping exhibits are immersive, helping visitors understand how human beings and animals could have lived and survived during the great flood. While the queue may be long at times, the Ark Encounter has air conditioning, making the waiting period comfortable and ensuring a pleasant experience for everyone.
A Vivid Journey through the Ark Encounter
Throughout the Ark, displays and computer animations help bring the story to life, showing what life may have looked like before the flood. The exhibits walk you through the flood itself and how, according to the Book of Genesis, it changed the world.
From detailed living quarters to animal enclosures and recreated pre flood landscapes, everything works together to help you picture how life could have continued during such a massive event.
These exhibits don’t just tell the story. They help you understand the real challenges of caring for people and animals and keeping everything running inside the Ark during the flood.
Exhibits
The exhibits showing the flood itself are just as engaging. Visitors walk through a darkened hallway filled with the sounds of thunder and heavy rain, creating a powerful sense of what the storm may have been like during those forty days and nights. Interactive digital displays then show the earth before, during, and after the flood, helping you visualize how dramatically the landscape could have changed.
They help you picture how Noah and his family may have fed and cared for the animals, managed waste, and kept life going inside the Ark for more than a year.
Even when lines are long during busy times, the Ark Encounter is set up to keep visitors comfortable. The Ark is air conditioned, which is a huge plus during the summer. There are also rest areas throughout where you can sit, take a break, and really take in the experience.
Exploring the Ararat Ridge Zoo and Petting Zoo: A Wildlife Encounter
Just a short walk from the Ark is the Ararat Ridge Zoo, a fun stop for animal lovers. Like the Ark, it’s designed to be hands on and immersive, with a variety of live animals to see up close.
One of the highlights is the camel rides
Petting Zoo
The zoo isn’t just about looking at animals from afar. There’s also a petting zoo where visitors can get up close with friendly farm animals. From petting goats to feeding llamas, it’s a hands on experience that makes you feel truly connected to the animals.
Discovering Wildlife Wonders
The zoo is also home to animals like Tibetan yaks, kangaroos, ostriches, emus, and more, making it feel like a mini global safari right in Kentucky. Informational signs along the way share fun facts about each animal, blending education with an enjoyable, relaxed experience.
Adventurous Zip Lines
For those wanting a little adventure, the Ark Encounter also offers zip lines that let you soar above the trees and enjoy views of northern Kentucky.
Books are another popular find in the gift shop. There’s a nice selection covering the story of Noah, the building of the Ark, and the animals at Ararat Ridge Zoo, making it easy to take a little piece of the experience home with you.
Shopping Options
The gift shop has plenty of souvenirs to remember your visit, from simple handcrafted items to modern keepsakes featuring the Ark and animals. There’s a good variety to browse through.
They do sell a small Noah’s Ark model, but in my opinion, it wasn’t worth the price. It felt pretty basic and didn’t have much detail.
If you want something more personal, you can also get a keepsake photo. You pose in front of a green screen and end up with a photo of yourself in front of the Ark or surrounded by animals, which makes for a fun and unique reminder of the visit.
Ken Ham's Vision: Bringing Noah's Ark to Life at the Ark Encounter
The vision behind the Ark Encounter comes from Ken Ham, who has long been passionate about sharing the biblical story of Noah. His goal was to create a place where people could see the story come to life in a real, hands on way.
A Unique Blend of History, Education, and Entertainment
In a world where many attractions focus mostly on entertainment, the Ark Encounter stands out by blending biblical history, learning, and fun. It’s especially well suited for group visits and school tours.
Other Attractions
Family Playground
The playground area at the Ark Encounter is a treat for young visitors. It’s designed to entertain children of all ages, providing a fun-filled break from exploring the exhibits.
Carousel
The carousel at the Ark Encounter is a fun little bonus that adds a lighthearted touch to the visit. It’s great for both kids and adults and offers a cheerful break from the exhibits.
The carousel features beautifully crafted animals, including some unique designs that tie in nicely with the Ark’s animal theme.
Camel Rides
Camel rides at the Ark Encounter are a fun and different way to see the park. These rides are part of the Ararat Ridge Zoo and let you see and ride real camels.
Camel rides at the Ark Encounter are available from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Each ride costs $10 per person.
Click here to watch the video of our Ark Encounter adventure.
Answers Center Auditorium
The Answers Center Auditorium is another significant feature of the Ark Encounter. It is a multi-purpose auditorium that hosts a variety of presentations, workshops, concerts, and conferences that align with the Ark Encounter’s mission of educating visitors about the biblical account of Noah’s Ark.
We saw the Building of the Ark Encounter here which was a 30 min video.
9 thoughts on “My Visit at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown Kentucky 2023”
This looks awesome! I am going to Kentucky in October and would love to visit here! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome!
This sounds like such an interesting place to visit! I was sold at the elephant topiarys lol. The whole place looks like such a good visit. I’m going to save this as a place to go for if I’m ever over that way! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome!
What a cool place to visit! The foods looks great too.
Thank you. The food that we did eat was good!
Considering a road trip in the US very soon so this was super helpful. Not read much about Kentucky before!
This was so helpful with all the details of things to do at the ark, thanks for sharing your experience there!
You are welcome! Thanks for reading!