The Creation Museum | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on March 21. 2024:

After three columns, I’m finally ready to tell you about Wednesday, the sixth day of our nine-day trip to Kentucky and the day we finally made it to the Creation Museum. It was a chilly, windy day with a fine mist in the air that threatened to put a damper on the day (pun intended). Since the school year had not yet ended and because most tourists prefer to tour in shorts and t-shirts, we were able to park close and get through the security line in record time. But the winding walkway that later in the year will be lined with decorative plants and flowers felt like a wind tunnel. Even Fawncyne, who had talked about zip lining since she discovered that The Ark Encounter includes Zip Line and Canopy Adventure Tours, conceded that flying through the canopy wouldn’t be much fun under present conditions. All we could think of was getting inside where hopefully it would be warm, but as soon as we rushed through the door, the weather was forgotten.

We were handed a museum map and guide along with the day’s events, but the exhibits are laid out to more or less lead you through the experience. We worked our way through the Dragon Legends and were amazed at how similar some of the descriptions were to several references in the Bible. Then we met the Burning Tree Mastodon, a cast of a skeleton found in Newark, Ohio about twenty years ago. There was also a large aquarium incorporated into a natural-looking setting with a couple of animatronic squirrels and a young person “fishing.” This exhibit was a favorite of children of all ages.

The main exhibit is basically a tour through the Bible from Creation in Genesis to the Second Coming in Revelation. The descriptions of the displays are fascinating with lots of explanations that give both the biblical and secular views of what you’re seeing. Some of the more scientific sections – like the part about carbon dating and other methods of determining the age of fossils – were over my head. But the Garden of Eden with life-sized plants, animals, and Adam and Eve were attractive to all ages. The Museum is both entertaining and educational as evidenced by groups of students who were on a “working” tour, taking notes and filling out question sheets. In addition to the displays, there were videos and live lectures that added even more understanding.

The first video we saw wasn’t in one of several theaters but was projected on a brick wall in a kind of rest area between exhibits. The film was like an animated graffiti presentation or an old-fashioned chalk talk. In five minutes we were taken through the Creation, the Fall, and the Crucifixion. Later in the day we visited the 4D Special Effects Theater where we experienced not only three-dimensional visuals of Creation but also the stormy wind of the flood and the rough landing of the Ark. 

The designers of the Museum gave a lot of thought and effort to the comfort of their guests. Restrooms were conveniently located throughout the building and Noah’s Café offered tasty and affordable lunch options. I was pleasantly surprised when I asked for a courtesy cup for water and was given a full-sized cup rather than the tiny ones most fast-food places offer. There were also smaller shops that offered coffee, ice cream, and other snacks. I don’t know how affordable they were because, although Robert bought each of us a treat for one of the lectures, I said thank you and didn’t ask how much it cost. 

The lecture involved some unusual insects and spiders which they displayed live. If you’ve read my column for any length of time, you know that bugs are not among my favorite creatures. But they had close-up cameras with large screens so you could get a good look at what they were talking about without getting up close and personal.

Several people have asked what my favorite part of the experience was. That’s like asking me to choose my favorite book or my favorite child. Well, maybe not the last one since I only have one son. Toward the end of our day at the Museum, we discovered a new feature that had recently been added – a sanctity-of-life exhibit call Fearfully & Wonderfully Made (Psalm 139). It was an unexpectedly emotional experience to see four-times life-sized three-dimensional models of what my son looked like during my pregnancy. 

Aside from that very personal moment, I think my favorite part of both venues of The Ark Encounter was the people who work there. They were all friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be there. They never seemed irritated at hearing the same question for probably the thousandth time, and they went out of their way to be helpful. At one point we found ourselves turned around and asked a passing employee for directions. She didn’t give us directions. Instead she led us downstairs and through a short cut, chatting cheerfully the entire way. That being said, when I write about the Ark, I may make a liar out of myself about favorite things. Once I get started talking about what we saw there, I have trouble finding a stopping point.

Blessings

Linda