Ark Encounter Tour - Part 2

Back today with part two of my photos from visiting the Ark Encounter. Even with all of these pictures I don't feel like this really does the Ark justice. It is just so big with so many things to see, each of which is a masterpiece itself. If you are ever near Williamstown, Kentucky I would highly recommend stopping by to see the Ark! 

These ramps were how you went from floor to floor in the Ark.

Obviously, Noah and his family had carpentry skills enough to build the Ark but they must have been talented in many other things as well. Everything from animal care to midwifery and healthcare to farming to making things like soap, blankets, and bread. Stone-working and metal working. Probably writing and artistic abilities as well.

Directions for the Ark in Scripture!

The center of the ark was open so that light could come down from the windows above.

Wow, was this an incredible piece! It was a timeline of world history, broken off by different civilizations and cultures. It would take hours to go over the entire thing. After we got home a friend told us you could buy a copy in the gift shop.

The yod-hey-waw-hey. YHWH in Hebrew.

Before seeing the beautiful living quarters I had sort of pictured Noah and his family huddled together in the dark surrounded by animals, with sleeping bags, and maybe a pot of soup. But there's no reason to believe they would not have put care into designing their own living space. They spent six months on the Ark, possibly longer if they lived on it for any time before or after the flood.

Seriously - what craftsmanship! Interesting to think about too is that they chose all the relics that survived the flood. Practical things like tools and clothing were on board but they were also entrusted with the entire library of their age, hence Noah's library.

The kitchen area. They would have brought along produce that stores well. See those carrots on the left? Orange carrots are actually a pretty recent creation in the world so I was pleased to see they had the older red variety.

Who ever thought of there being a kitchen on the Ark? Of course they would have needed a space to prepare meals for themselves and maybe even to break down vegetables for the animals. They even included something similar to a tandoori oven on board.

Potting bench with space for drying herbs.

I absolutely loved this - indoor gardening! There was an explanation that the light that came in from the top of the Ark could have been used to grow foods like lettuces for Noah's family. Or even just to keep plants alive for replanting after the flood.

Explanations of other culture's flood legends.

The proposed methods of survival in the legends. There were many details about why these would not have worked but the Ark in Scripture would have!

There was a special exhibit of various Bible manuscripts when we visited.

Near the end this exhibit explains salvation.

The dove coming back with the olive branch.

To give you a better idea of the massive size of the Ark - the first floor is underneath the structure! It was so moving to see the Ark built to scale and like I said, there are so many things I didn't even get pictures of. There are more exhibits, two theaters, pony rides, a zoo, restaurant, and a huge gift shop. I am so glad we had the opportunity to visit!

See part one photos here.

Tour the Ark Encounter - Part 1

Not long ago we had the chance to travel to Kentucky to check out the Ark Encounter. Let me tell you, there is nothing like pulling up and seeing the massive size of the Ark! Even with Noah's Ark being such a familiar story for most of us you can't really grasp the enormity of what that would have looked like until you see it built to scale. It was amazing to see in person how the ark would have looked and how it could have operated. Because of how many pictures I have to share I'm breaking this up into two posts, and even then there is so much more to see! Ready for a look?

 For perspective, that red dot on the other side of the lake is a person. That ramp is built for vehicles to drive on.

 There were gift shops, coffee stands, and music stages outside. Most of these were closed during our visit in early April (We went during Matzah Week).

 Standing beneath the ark and looking up.

 Cages for smaller animals and containers for water.

 What it could have looked like to store the amount of grains needed to feed the animals.

 While Scripture provides many specifics about the construction of the ark, we are left to wonder at how the inside might have looked with practicalities like animal cages, food storage, living quarters for Noah's family, objects they might have brought along, and so on. They emphasized that what you see is their interpretation of what that could have looked like and how things might have worked.

 In the 600th year of Noah's life all the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of Heaven opened. -Genesis 7:11

 One theory was the family could have propagated moths to feed the amphibians and reptiles.

Standing in the center of the ark and looking upwards.

 There were likely many animals on the Ark that are extinct today.

 The animals looked so real and many of the cages made noises while you went past. It was convincing!

 Everywhere you turned there was information - we learned a lot.

Water jugs for the people and animals.

 The Ark wasn't as big as the Titanic but it was longer that the Statue of Liberty is high!

 A glimpse of what the world might have looked like pre-flood and explanations of why YHWH brought judgment on it.

 There were many miniatures depicting the wickedness of the world before the flood, like in this gladiator like scene.

The giants/Nephilim of Scripture was briefly touched on as well.

Recently a celebrity musician dressed up to look like this goddess.

 They answered all the common questions about Noah's story.

 How the smaller animals could have been housed. They shared about ventilation, cleaning, and feeding as well.

 So Noah here is a Sculpture but he moves and talks. There are buttons you can press to ask questions and then he explains.

I never thought about this but they depicted a library on board. 

See more pictures in part two! Have you visited the Ark Encounter? What did you think of it?