A full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark is set to open in Williamstown, Kentucky, on 7 July, with organisers projecting between 1.4 million and 2.2 million visitors in its first year of operation. Built at a cost of around $100 million, the attraction is one of the largest timber-frame structures ever constructed and forms the centrepiece of a planned religious theme park in northern Kentucky.
A Structure Built to Biblical Measurements
The wooden structure stretches 510 feet (approximately 155 metres) in length and stands 85 feet (roughly 26 metres) tall, dimensions drawn directly from the Book of Genesis. The project was developed by Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry led by founder and president Ken Ham, whose nearby Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, has drawn around half a million visitors annually since opening in 2007.
Ham said the aim of the project is to demonstrate the plausibility of the biblical narrative. “Our purpose is really to bring the Bible to life,” he said. “By building the Ark we are saying that what is described really happened and is completely reasonable. The Ark looks large from the outside, but when you step inside it feels even larger.”
Ham also expressed confidence that the attraction would prove a major draw. “If we build it, we truly believe the people will come,” he said. “They will absolutely come.”
Three Decks of Exhibits and a Zoo
The interior of the structure spans three decks and houses 132 exhibit bays. Displays cover topics including how animals could have been accommodated on the Ark, the story of Noah’s family, and what life during the biblical flood may have looked like. Handcrafted animal models and large murals are used throughout to bring the narrative to life.
The attraction will also operate as a zoo and include a restaurant and gift shop. Animal models on board are intended to represent what Answers in Genesis describes as biblical “kinds,” the groupings from which modern species are said to have descended following the flood. Reports ahead of the opening indicated the exhibit would include models of dinosaurs and other creatures.
During the first 40 days and 40 nights following the opening, the park will offer both daytime and evening sessions, a deliberate reference to the 40 days of rain described in Genesis. Tickets are priced at $40 for adults, $31 for seniors and $28 for children, with parking available at $10.
Tax Incentives and a Legal Battle
The state of Kentucky initially approved an $18 million sales tax rebate for the project under its tourism incentive programme. The incentive was later withdrawn by state officials, who raised concerns about religious indoctrination and the organisation’s hiring practices. Answers in Genesis filed a federal lawsuit, arguing the decision amounted to viewpoint discrimination and violated constitutional protections for religious freedom.
A federal judge ruled in January 2016 in favour of Answers in Genesis, ordering the state to proceed with processing the tax rebate application. The ruling also confirmed the organisation’s legal right to require employees to sign a statement of faith as a condition of employment. Kentucky’s then-newly elected Governor Matt Bevin subsequently announced the state would not appeal the decision.
Hiring Practices Draw Scrutiny
The workforce requirements at the attraction have drawn significant public attention. All job applicants are required to sign a statement of faith affirming belief in the biblical creation account and treating the Great Flood as a real historical event. The statement also takes positions on issues including same-sex marriage and defines the age of the Earth as approximately 6,000 years.
Critics, including scientists and civil liberties advocates, have argued that publicly subsidised attractions should not be permitted to discriminate on religious grounds in hiring. Supporters have countered that the First Amendment protects religious organisations’ right to staff their ministries with like-minded believers. The federal court’s ruling upheld the latter position.
Science and Scripture Side by Side
The opening of the attraction adds to the profile of a broader complex that has long occupied an unusual place in American tourism. The adjacent Creation Museum promotes a young-Earth interpretation of history, including displays placing dinosaurs alongside Adam and Eve in a timeline spanning roughly 6,000 years. The scientific consensus holds that non-avian dinosaurs went extinct approximately 66 million years before the first modern humans appeared.
Answers in Genesis has stated that the Ark Encounter is intended to reach both Christian and non-Christian visitors, positioning the site as an educational experience as well as a religious one. Craftsmen who treat the Bible as literal truth and Christian artists were involved in the construction and exhibit design throughout.
Economic Impact and Kentucky Tourism
Organisers estimate the attraction could generate around $4 billion in economic activity and support approximately 20,000 jobs across the region over a decade. An independent feasibility study commissioned for the state projected a more conservative figure of around 400,000 annual visitors and $40 million in tax revenue over ten years.
The site is located just off interstate exit 154 in Williamstown, roughly halfway between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky, and approximately 40 miles from the Creation Museum. The opening is expected to increase demand for hotel accommodation in the area, with a shortage of rooms already identified as one of the main constraints on regional tourism growth.
If visitor numbers approach the top of the projected range, the biblical theme park could rank among the most-visited attractions in Kentucky, significantly expanding the state’s appeal to faith-based tourists from across the United States and beyond.
