An enormous wooden vessel more than 500 feet long, as tall as a five-story building and surrounded by meadows and hills, ready to set sail on a mission of vital importance. The problem is that there’s no sea on the horizon, of course, because we’re in northern Kentucky, hundreds of miles from the nearest coast.
Yet what you see before you is indeed Noah’s Ark — or rather, a gigantic replica of it, built to the dimensions given in the Bible. You can go inside, explore the three decks, and see how life on board would have been organized, among animals, supplies, and accommodations for the patriarch’s family.
But the real surprise comes when you discover that the animals on board would have included dinosaurs as well. So how did this unusual attraction come to be?
A life-size Noah’s Ark in Kentucky
We’re in Williamstown, a small town in northern Kentucky, where on July 7, 2016, one of the most unusual attractions in the United States opened: Ark Encounter, a park dedicated to recreating the famous biblical story of the Great Flood. The idea came from the Christian organization Answers in Genesis, led by Australian Ken Ham, a staunch advocate of a literal interpretation of the Bible.
The project certainly wasn’t limited to a miniature reproduction. The Ark was built using the dimensions given in Genesis: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Converted into modern measurements, according to the type of cubit chosen by the designers, they correspond to approximately 510 feet in length, 85 feet in width, and 51 feet in height. To build it, expert Amish carpenters were also involved, and the result is one of the largest free-standing wooden structures in the world.
Once aboard, visitors can walk across three huge decks, among animal cages, supply containers, reconstructed living quarters, and animated figures of Noah and his family. All of it is meant to answer a question many people have probably asked while reading the Bible: how would eight people have managed to live for months on a ship alongside all those animals?
Were there dinosaurs on the Ark too?
Walking among the animal reconstructions, you might come across a rather unexpected presence: dinosaurs. Finding giant dinosaurs at a roadside attraction isn’t particularly surprising. Finding them aboard Noah’s Ark, however, is another matter! And yet, the people behind Ark Encounter really do maintain that Noah could have boarded a few pairs of dinosaurs as well, presumably younger, smaller specimens.
The explanation comes from the creationist view of the so-called young Earth, according to which our planet is only a few thousand years old and humans lived alongside dinosaurs. This is, of course, a religious belief that conflicts with established scientific knowledge, according to which non-avian dinosaurs went extinct about 66 million years ago, long before humans appeared.
However, the Ark Encounter presents this interpretation as a plausible reconstruction of the biblical story. And so, alongside the animals that, according to the biblical account, would have been brought aboard, there are also prehistoric creatures, all reproduced through models and sculptures.
How to Visit Ark Encounter
The Ark Encounter is located at 1 Ark Encounter Drive, near Interstate 75, between Cincinnati and Lexington. Adult tickets start at around $55, with prices varying depending on the date. Parking costs extra. A shuttle takes visitors from the parking area to the Ark, whose three decks are wheelchair accessible. Updated hours and prices are available on the official website.
The park also includes a zoo with live animals, restaurants, and other attractions. In short, it’s more than a religious museum: it’s a full-fledged theme park.
A million-dollar lawsuit… because of the rain!
In 2019, the park’s owners made headlines for a truly unusual matter: they had sued their own insurance companies over damage caused by heavy rain. The water, which had fallen in abundance in 2017 and 2018, had in fact caused a landslide, damaging the road leading to the park while leaving the Ark completely intact. Repairs had cost about one million dollars, but the insurance companies had covered only a small part of the expenses. The owners therefore decided to turn to the courts to recover what they believed was still owed to them. There’s something wonderfully ironic about building Noah’s Ark and then ending up in court over damage caused by rain!
