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Ark Encounter in Williamstown to open July 7; promotion scheduled to accommodate crowds


By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor

Answers in Genesis has chosen a date that corresponds with an applicable Biblical passage as the opening date for the Williamstown attraction.

The Ark Encounter will open July 7, 2016, a date that corresponds with the Biblical passage that describes Noah’s entry into the Ark.

Genesis 7:7 reads, “And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.”

Answers in Genesis co-founder Ken Ham announces the July 7, 2016 opening date for the Ark Encounter in Williamstown. At left is John Whitcomb, co-author of the book “The Genesis Flood.”

Answers in Genesis co-founder Ken Ham announces the July 7, 2016 opening date for the Ark Encounter in Williamstown. At left is 91-year-old John Whitcomb, co-author of the book “The Genesis Flood.” Whitcomb read a passage from Genesis 7:7, which describes Noah’s entry to the Ark and was the basis for the opening date (photo by Mark Hansel).

Answers in Genesis co-founder Ken Ham said the date corresponds with the construction schedule.

“We are so excited that the construction progress and schedule landed on this 7/7 date,” Ham said “Genesis 7:7 states that Noah and his family entered the Ark. So it’s fitting we allow the public to enter the life-size Ark on 7/7.”

Ham announced the date to a throng of media Thursday morning under threatening skies that provided a suitable backdrop for the event.

In keeping with the Biblical theme, and in an effort to accommodate the anticipated demand for tickets immediately after the opening, the Ark Encounter will offer a “40 days and 40 night” promotion.

During the first 40 days of operation, guests can purchase daytime tickets for entry from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or nighttime tickets for admission from 5 p.m. to midnight. The experience for visitors will differ, depending on which ticket they purchase.

“While the Ark Encounter will be able to accommodate 16,000 guests per day, our consultant’s research has shown that we could possibly expect more than that during the first few weeks of opening, especially during the summer time frame,” Ham aid. “So, to make sure this themed attraction remains an enjoyable experience for everyone, we are adding a nighttime shift for the first 40 days.”

Tickets will go on sale to the general public online, beginning January 19, at a cost of $40 for adults, $28 for children and $31 for seniors.

Ark superimposedParking is $10.

Those who have purchased a Charter Boarding Pass or have sponsored a plank or a beam will have access to a priority-ticketing period beginning January 5. The boarding pass and plank and beam promotions have been a funding source for the $92 million Ark Encounter project.

To date about $80 million has been raised and Ham is confident the remaining amount will come before the Ark is completed.

The Ark, which is built to the dimensions believed to replicate its Biblical predecessor, will be 510 feet long, 50 feet tall and 85 feet wide. Exterior construction will be sufficiently completed to allow work to continue uninterrupted through the winter months.

The stern will be constructed after the main body of the Ark is completed and the bow will be added early next year. The Ark will have 132 exhibit bays that are being developed at a design center in Hebron.

When completed, it will be the largest wood timber structure in the world.

Answers in Genesis, an Apologetics ministry focuses on the absolute truth and authority of the Bible. Among its beliefs are that the Earth is only about 6,000 years old and that dinosaurs and modern man inhabited the planet at the same time.

Answers in Genesis also bult the Creation Museum in Petersburg, which has been visited by more than 2.5 million guests since opening in 2007.

The Ark Encounter is expected to spur attendance increases at the Creation Museum. Many visitors from outside the region are anticipated to plan multi-day trips to Northern Kentucky, to be able to see both attractions.

Eric Summe, CEO of meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky convention and visitors bureau, said the Ark Encounter will be a tremendous tourism draw for the entire region.

Ark interior“Obviously, they could have built this fine facility any number of places, but the fact is it’s here and what it will do for tourism and our region is going to be spectacular,” Summe said. “One of the things that we are very excited about is, in our business we try to bring groups, conventions and company meetings here and a lot of our business is from the religious segment. This gives us a much more attractive offerings for those very large groups that come from all over the United States and being able to offer this along with the Creation Museum will be a big win for us.”

The project was announced in December 2010, and was envisioned as an attraction with multiple exhibits with a targeted completion date of 2014.

That timeline was moved back and developers ultimately decided the project would be built in phases, with a timeline to be determined by financing and market conditions.

The Walled City, which will operate like a Main Street with entertainment and retail options, is likely to be the next attraction completed.

Answers in Genesis sought, and was initially approved for, up to $18 million in state tax incentives. The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, however, determined AIG’s hiring policies did not meet state requirements and approval was withdrawn.

Answers in Genesis has filed suit in an attempt to get the incentives reinstated and a decision on that litigation is expected soon.

For more information about the Ark Encounter project, click here .

Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com


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