I believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God, without error. Every word, every person and every story are there for a reason. While I enjoy reading the Bible, I also appreciate how I can gain further insights through songs, sermons, plays and object lessons that bring the Bible to life. This is exactly what the Ark Encounter does. It brings the Bible to life and in particular the story of Noah and the great flood.
My sister, Randi, and I recently took an overnight trip to Williamstown, Kentucky to go to the Ark Encounter. Our parents, Bud and Dolores, had gone back in 2016, the year it was opened, during their trip to Texas. They had said it was pretty incredible. Randi and I had been talking about going to the attraction since then. Finally, we stopped talking about it and made plans to go.
My first impression was that the Ark building was huge! I know, I’ve seen pictures, but until you are there, you really don’t get the sense of the immensity of it. The creators of the Ark Encounter have set up the attraction so that you park and then ride a bus to the Ark. You can see the building from the parking lot, but when you get out of the bus and it is in front of you…it is an awesome view.
Here are some helpful hints that will allow you to make the most of your adventure to the Ark Encounter. Some I was told before I went and others I learned while I was there.
1. Wear comfortable shoes
This is one of the first things my dad said to me when I told my parents Randi and I were going to visit the Ark Encounter. He said even though the bus takes you to the front of the ark, you still have quite a bit of walking to do from that point on. He was not kidding. I mean seriously, the Ark Encounter is a life-size replica of the actual Ark Noah built. That means it is a 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high structure. To give you a perspective, it is almost 2 football fields long. There are three levels in the Ark Encounter. You make your way through the building on gradual ramps, starting at the bottom level. The Ark Encounter is ADA accessible. They also have wheelchairs or electric scooters available for rent. It is located at the Guest Services building when you get off the bus. So, even if you have limited mobility, that shouldn’t keep you from experiencing this attraction. For the rest of us, who are blessed with the privilege of being able to walk, you will want to be as comfortable as you can. Thus my advice, wear comfortable shoes!
2. Start your day early
The Ark Encounter opens 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and Noon on Sundays. It is open until 7 p.m. My advice, go early. Randi and I got there around 9:30 a.m. There was already several rows of cars parked when we go there. However, as the day progressed, the crowds got much larger and we were there on a Saturday in April! I imagine as the season progresses to summer the crowds will grow. So if you are going, you will want to get there in the early part of the day. Randi and I were able to go through the Ark in about four and half hours. We looked at every exhibit. But there were some that we had to wait in line to be able to move through. I can’t imagine how much longer we would have had to wait if we had a later start.
3. Enjoy a meal with a view
As I said, Randi and I took about 4 1/2 hours to get through all the exhibits of the Ark Encounter. While we had enjoyed our breakfast at the hotel in Florence (Home 2 Suites, a Hilton Hotel), by 2 p.m. we were hungry. As a side note, the Ark Encounter has a few places throughout the exhibits that allow you to purchase refreshments, but we didn’t partake of them. Instead, we had decided that we would enjoy a meal at Emzara’s Buffet. Emzara is thought to be one of the possible names of Noah’s wife. The buffet is quite large and designed to handle the many, many visitors it has each day. By the time Randi and I got to the restaurant, it was pretty busy in the main dining room. However, I had read that you could view the Ark from the second floor of the restaurant. So, although our feet were a little tired, we decided we would carry our food upstairs to the balcony on the second floor. It was a beautiful day. We especially were enjoying it because it seemed like the first real spring day we had since the long and dreary winter. Plus, we had this magnificent view of the Ark! Again, until you see it, you really can’t comprehend the vastness of it.
4. Be ready to read
All of the exhibits at the Ark Encounter are amazing. They are well thought out. They flow logically and they offer a lot of information. The exhibits have videos, pictures, displays and dioramas, but also a lot of reading, too. If you are with children, I am sure they wouldn’t have the patience to read everything — or wait while you read. You can still get a sense of the purpose of the exhibits without reading every word. However, to get the full extent, reading the information is powerful. So when you come, be prepared to read. Make sure to bring your glasses, too!
5. Come willing to learn
As I explained earlier, I enjoy things that allow me to gain insight into the Bible that brings the stories and people to life. It is easy to think of the characters in the Bible as different than us. However, the Ark Encounter kept reminding me that Noah and his family were regular people like me. Yes, they did live longer, but they still had the same human nature I have. When we were walking through the Ark and saw the possible water and food storage system in addition the cages/animal containment systems in place, my first thought was how on earth did Noah do this? He would have had to subcontract with others in the community to get everything done! I never would have even thought about that had I not gone to the Ark Encounter. I wouldn’t have thought about how they took care of all the animals with just eight people or how they were able to live in the Ark for so long. The Ark Encounter has displays of their living quarters and how they managed to have enough food for the animals and for them. There were so many exhibits that explained things from the perspective of the Bible and how to respond to people who don’t hold the same views as I do about the Ark, the flood, fossils, God’s judgment and grace and so much more. My advice to you, is if you decide to visit the Ark Encounter, come with an open mind and be prepared to learn something.
As I reflected on my experience at the Ark Encounter, I wondered why someone would go to all the effort and expense to create this attraction. As stated on their website, “Have you ever wondered: How big was Noah’s Ark? How did Noah fit all the animals? How did Noah feed and care for all the animals? How did Noah build the Ark? We built the full-size Noah’s Ark to answer these questions—and more! As you enter Noah’s world aboard the massive Ark, you’ll tour three decks filled with scores of world-class exhibit bays. These stunning exhibits allow you to experience what Noah’s life may have been like.” They certainly lived up to this for me. I’m sure it will for you, too.
I want to thank my sister, Randi, for these wonderful photos. My usual photographer was on location in Boston at the time we took our trip.
