Ark Encounter - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Ark Encounter
Ark Encounter
4.5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • CoolmomWV
    5 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lots of information
    Loved the fact there is tons of information. The place was clean and staff was exceptionally friendly. Do feel like the creators of the exhibit used a lot of creative liberties to fill in the gaps of the Bible.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 5, 2023
  • Liz-RonB
    Birmingham, Alabama497 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Better than we expected.
    We have anticipated this visit for a while and it was worth it. We appreciated the historic and Biblical accuracy and assumptions. The size of the replica was amazing. The displays were very informative and well done. All that was missing was the smells (thankfully). I will say, as Christians we were not offended but someone who came there with other beliefs might be. The presentation by Dr Mortenson ‘Washing Away Millions of Years’ was fascinating but at the end, I almost expected an alter call. I pray this outreach really does reach many many unexpecting people! It was a Rainbow experience!
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 6, 2023
  • James
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family Ark Encounter
    This is one of the best places you can bring your family! The craftsmanship in this beautiful Ark is magnificent! You can learn soooo much here. Make sure you bring good walking shoes, because you will do a lot of walking. People with problems walking can rent an electric scooter for around 10.00. This is an awesome place to visit. Everything about this wonderful place is top notch! They also have a great restaurant buffet.
    Visited September 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written June 10, 2023
  • Teri m
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Our visit left us in Aw! Educated and totally amazed by EVERYTHING!
    Seeing Creation Museum & Ark Encounter in 2-3 days is a MUST. Thank you to Anna R who represented both companies very well by providing guidance on local hotels, restaurants and sights to see! Because I'm a travel agent she also provided group booking details and suggestions. One classy lady that knows how to market the place she respects and loves! We had a great time in KY and will be returning with a group!
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written June 11, 2023
  • Adventure20229877871
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great experience
    Great experience and learning opportunities. Great way to feel the size of the Ark and realize the great miracle it was to accomplish. The entire facility was clean and very well kept including the grounds. The flowers and foliage were beautiful. We went with our 9 and almost 11 year old grandsons who also enjoyed the day. There is a restaurant on the premises that we did not visit as well as many eating places on the grounds. Lovely outdoor seating. Outside of the facility has no dining nearby. Parking was good and the staff were friendly. On a side note don’t miss the fudge for a mid tour snack.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written June 15, 2023
  • DJN
    10 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    An atheist who still enjoyed the visit
    We had an entertaining visit to the Ark Encounter. There is a shuttle bus from the entrance to the ark itself. The introductory film was interesting, and the structure itself is very impressive. They seem to be prepared for large crowds but we did not experience any issues that way. Lunch in the buffet was not bad. Inside the ark, the mental gymnastics that are necessary to try and explain the impossibilty of the biblical flood story being literally true were very interesting. Some were entertaining, some actively misrepresented known science, and Ernest Shackleton is rolling over in his grave. No one who is not already indoctrinated is going to be convinced, but it was fun to see how Mr. Ham and his group think.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 15, 2023
  • Andrew S
    Mission, Texas304 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very informative
    Great place to go. Watch the movie on the building of the ark. Walking through the ark allow 4-5 hours to read and see everything. Restaurant is buffet style and can get crowded. The only thing to be concerned about is the people in scooters. There were groups of 5 to 6 people in scooters that would run over you
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 18, 2023
  • CuriousCasey
    Detroit, Michigan154 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Ark is Amazing
    The Ark is significantly larger than I had anticipated. It is well designed on many levels and extremely realistic. Most of the displays are designed to be read, though there are a few movies that run at set times. I basically ran through the exhibit in 45 minutes because our dog was ailing and we had no where to put her while we were there (my husband stayed in the car with her.) I was very satisfied with what I saw in that amount of time and have no regrets, though we'd both like to return and take more time to truly stop, read and interact with the many exhibits. It is well done and worth the trip!
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 20, 2023
  • ElecTech757
    Beaver, Pennsylvania167 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ark encounter
    Amazing place and staff. The restrooms were spotless and clean and even smelled clean. All of the facilities on the property were in excellent shape and very clean. For the number of people that pass through this wonderful exhibit it was very clean and maintained.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written June 28, 2023
  • Bluebygrace
    Livonia, Michigan755 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazed
    My son and I were truly amazed by the size and grandeur of this structure. The woodworking is gorgeous and the gospel message throughout the ark, particularly the many scripture references made the ark a great experience. It literally brought the Biblical story to life and I loved presenting a view to my son that he will not hear from school. We loved that everyone was friendly, the organization of the place is superb, online ticket purchase made things a breeze once we arrived and the entire place was impeccably clean. I highly recommend the following to all visitors: 1. Buy your ticket and parking online. 2. Arrive at 8:30 to park and get in the line for the first shuttle which leaves at 9:00. 3. If you cannot arrive at 8:30, particularly on a weekend, just wait and see everything after lunch. We had no trouble with crowds because we arrived early and came midweek. Everyone should see the Ark. Well worth the drive and ticket price, in my opinion.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written June 28, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4,700 reviews
Excellent
3,386
Very good
802
Average
265
Poor
119
Terrible
128

SuzieQTTX
Fort Worth, TX62 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
Had heard wonderful things about visiting The Ark Encounter in KY. Flew into Cincinnati, only 40 miles to Williamstown KY. Awesome experience - one day doesn’t to it justice - almost overwhelming. Do the Virtual Reality experience - worth the extra - we did it ahead of entering the Ark.
Written May 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robin M
Brookville, PA693 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Friends
We took a bus trip to the Ark. We arrived when it was opening for the day. We were transported from the bus to the ticket center by a shuttle. There is a lot of walking.
There were scooters and wheelchairs available for rent.

The Ark is three stories of exhibits and explanations. There is a lot of reading with comparisons between the Bible and science. When you're done inside the Ark, there is a small zoo out back. There is a buffet restaurant right outside of the Ark. There are also small kiosks scattered around where you can buy a light lunch.

Many people on our bus liked the Flood virtual reality experience for an additional price. I wish I could have had time to do it.
Written May 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

theandrewsnation
Burns, TN199 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
It’s what you expect! The shear scale is amazing! The architecture is phenomenal! Is it a tourist attraction? Yes! Is it expensive? Yes! But you’d spend just as much on a Reds game up the street! Is it crowded at times? Yes! But so is the Cincinnati Zoo! Does it push The Bible over science? Of course it does but does this shock you!

So we just took our time as we understood these things! The displays are informative! They had a lot about the build up to the flood and what caused the fall of man. A lot presented both views on creation side by side! They also were very clear to tell you they took some artistic liberties as well. But only based on their best research.

So you know what it is going in! It’s worth a trip to check it out and decide for yourself! I’m glad we did!
Written May 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Danny K
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
Wonderful place. Lots to do and see, reasonably priced. Workers very helpful and nice. A zoo with live animals and lots of food places there to eat,very reasonable prices on food.
Written May 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emi W
Mount Dora, FL548 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
We finally got to visit in October, and we had so much fun! I've told everyone how awesome this place is. We got there early enough to get on one of the first buses and we were able to watch the presentation before heading out to the Ark. We couldn't believe how amazing it looked when we got out there. The tour was awesome and once we got through the initial part the crowd thinned out as people kept their own pace. The information and attention to detail was so amazing and we learned a ton. I wouldn't mind staying overnight so we could have a second day to see more and take in the zoo. We made it there right before closing and my kids got to walk around for a few minutes with the kangaroos, but they would have loved to spend more time with them and the other animals.
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Linda W
Pensacola, FL5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Friends
The structure is impressive. The documented information is more than most people can absorb. Took pictures of all the explanations so that I could read later. I hope at some future date, they will have more interactive information. Dont miss "The Ben' show at the Zoo. They need more entertainers like Ben on the inside.
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TheCarrs52601
Norfolk, VA608 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
It was a rainy Friday but we only had the one day available to visit the Ark Encounter. Since it was a rainy Friday in May there were no lines which was super convenient! We were in KY to attend an Asbury Theological Seminary graduation and the Ark Encounter is only 1 hour & 10 minutes from Wilmore where we were staying so we decided to have our grandson join us so we could take him to see the Ark. This was our 2nd visit and his first, we all loved it! We had a great & educational experience! The sound effects really add to the overall atmosphere with the sounds of the thunder, rain & animals! We didn’t let the rain put a damper on our visit, it was all very interesting & the truth traveler virtual reality experience was cool too!
Written May 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Companion212211
Iowa Falls, IA3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
Very beautiful artwork. Impressive structure. My husband is handicapped and they were helpful. DO NOT GO WHEN IT IS BUSY! You will be stuck in never ending lines.
Written May 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LovesToExplore2011
Ohio132 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Friends
Go back in time and learn about the history and the Bible and the different types of animals that was on the ark and what it was like.

Also Please Note play close attention to the people using rental motorized wheelchairs or personal motorized wheelchairs they don’t pay attention to what or who around them cutting people off or hitting them which is assault
Written May 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

charlie parks
Marinette, WI209 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Family
It was so amazing, there Is 3 floors, so very informative, very kid friendly, n handicapped accessible, so many things to do
Written May 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ark Encounter - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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