It’s 510-foot-long and seven stories tall. The Ark Encounter, the world’s largest freestanding timber-frame structure, opened in Kentucky yesterday. Visitors from around the world can now tour—two-by-two or otherwise—Noah’s Ark.
Answers in Genesis estimates the ark will draw 2 million visitors its first year, putting it on par with nearby Cincinnati attractions.
The massive boat is built to biblical dimensions. Inside are displays representing Noah's family and rows of cages containing animal replicas, including dinosaurs.
Ken Ham is president of Answers in Genesis (AIG), the ministry that built the ark. He says, “In a world that is becoming increasingly secularized and biased, it’s time for Christians to do something of this size and this magnitude.”
Millions of people learned about the ark project during an evolution debate between TV's Bill Nye "the Science Guy" and Ham in 2014. The debate turned the tide of years of sluggish fundraising. A video of the debate on YouTube has 5.4 million views.
Earlier this year, a judge ruled AIG could receive Kentucky sales tax incentives worth up to $18 million. Critics say the attraction is detrimental to science education and shouldn't have won incentives.
AIG hopes Christians and non-Christians alike visit Ark Encounter. “Even [people who] don’t share our biblical view, they can’t help but be impressed. . . . And who knows? Maybe they’ll be challenged to even talk about the Bible.”
