Ark Encounter Blog

It’s time to mark your calendar with the dates for this year’s Christmas at the Ark Encounter! Bring the family for an unforgettable evening of festive lights, live music/shows, holiday dining, gift shopping, and more, for just the price of parking..

Our Christmas event is taking place Thursday–Saturday, November 27, 2026–January 2, 2027! There are a few exceptions: We’re closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve; however, the event open dates are expanded the weeks of Christmas and New Year to also include Tuesday–Wednesday (December 22, 23, 29, and 30), so you still have plenty of opportunity to visit during those weeks. See the calendar below:

So what can you expect when you join us for Christmas at the Ark Encounter? Well, for only the cost of parking, come to the Ark Encounter to enjoy:

• Light in the Darkness, a spectacular laser show on the side of the life-size Ark
• Live animal shows
• A sea of lights throughout the grounds
• Ararat Ridge Zoo
• Our custom indoor carousel
• Our playground
• And, of course, access to unique holiday shopping, festive foods, and more.

Whether you’re looking for an evening filled with festive lights and holiday music or a full-day adventure exploring our world-class exhibits in our life-size Noah’s Ark and enjoying a festive evening, we’ve got the perfect option for you. Choose the experience that fits your visit!

The amazing exhibits inside the life-size Ark remain available for paid-admission guests during the published daytime hours until 5:00 p.m.

During our Christmas at the Ark Encounter event, the Ark gift shop (accessible without Ark exhibit admission) will remain open until 8:30 p.m.

Be sure to add a visit to the Creation Museum to your Christmas activities this year as well. Visit the museum to experience:

• A live nativity
• Spectacularly beautiful garden of lights
• TrueSong concerts
• Lit-up dinosaurs throughout the grounds
• The Plants of the Bible Conservatory
• Indoor drama videos
• Encounter the Wonder in our 4D theater
• Creation Zoo
• Our playground
• And access to holiday shopping, festive foods, and more!

Start planning your Christmas visit to the Ark Encounter today! We look forward to seeing your family here!

One of the newer displays on the Ark Encounter’s third deck, God’s Word: A Blessing to the World, is found toward the end of the exhibit area, shortly before guests return to the lower levels.

The focal point of this exhibit is an authentic, decommissioned Torah scroll that was donated to Answers in Genesis by Ken and Barb Larson from God’s Ancient Library. Measuring an impressive 110 feet long, the scroll is displayed in a specially designed glass case that provides air circulation, humidity control, and other protections necessary to preserve such a historical document.

About a third of the scroll is unrolled, allowing Ark Encounter guests to view the entire book of Genesis and part of Exodus in handwritten Hebrew.

The display also includes a variety of other artifacts and replicas, including a silver yad (Scripture pointer) from the 1880s, a mezuzah, a facsimile of the Latin Vulgate, a replica of a Greek codex, oil lamps from the Bronze Age (the time period in which Abraham lived), and more.

In addition, teaching signage is interspersed with the artifacts, giving guests a brief overview regarding topics such as the Pentateuch, the languages of the Bible, early translations, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

It’s a fascinating exhibit—one you won’t want to miss on your next visit to the Ark! Start planning your visit today.

Noah’s Ark was the perfect size for carrying representatives from all of the land-dwelling animal kinds during the Flood.

Noah didn’t take two of every species on the Ark—only two of each “kind” of animal. The biblical “kind” is actually more like the “family” level of classification. That’s way fewer animals!

Recent studies have estimated that Noah may have cared for 1,398 kinds of land-dwelling animals and flying creatures. This includes all living and known extinct animals. Using a “worst-case scenario” approach in our calculations, there would have been 6,744 land animals and flying creatures on the Ark.

According to the Bible, the Ark measured 300 x 50 x 30 cubits, which is a volume of about 1.88 million cubic feet. Without getting into all the math, all of the animals, food, storage, and supplies would have fit comfortably on the Ark.

Start planning your visit to the Ark Encounter today, and see how many animals could fit in the Ark and how Noah may have housed them.

How are we to understand fossils? We have to start with Genesis 1–11.

If there really was a global flood, like the Bible says, then we should find billions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the earth. And that’s exactly what we find!

In a misguided attempt to blend biblical teaching with the popular idea that the earth is millions of years old, some Christians have invented imaginative ways to reinterpret the Bible’s creation account. However, every concept they have developed, such as the gap theory, progressive creationism, the framework hypothesis, and the day-age theory, is littered with problems.

Old-earth views necessarily force millions of years of thorns, death, suffering, and disease before Adam and Eve. Yet, after God created the first two people, the Bible states that everything He made was “very good.”

Also, to be consistent, the old-earth positions must interpret the Genesis Flood as a regional or tranquil event. Yet the Bible clearly describes the mountain-covering Flood as global in extent and its waters as very powerful.

Start planning your trip to the Ark Encounter today, and be sure to visit our Flood Geology exhibit to learn more about how the evidence confirms the global Flood.

One of the newer exhibits at the Ark Encounter is found on the third deck. Arks from Around the World showcases a collection of Noah’s ark figurines, artwork, toys, and other memorabilia gathered from various locations throughout the world.

Many of these depictions are not biblically accurate, yet they serve as a reminder of how the memory of a catastrophic flood was passed down across even widely separated cultures.

Though many of the items in this collection are themselves modern and were likely influenced by the spread of the biblical account rather than strictly by cultural traditions, that doesn’t negate the existence of many cultural legends that echo the historic event.

As seen in the earlier Flood Legends exhibit, cultures worldwide have passed down stories of a great flood of judgment sometime in the distant past. These traditions vary in their likeness to the historical biblical account—some featuring quite a bit of embellishment—but they bear enough similarities to identify their basis in a shared event, thereby confirming biblical history.

Next time you visit the Ark Encounter, be sure to examine this fascinating display and enjoy the workmanship of items from Mongolia, Thailand, Kenya, Germany, Romania, the US, and other countries.

Start planning your visit to the Ark Encounter today to learn more about the biblical flood, various flood legends, and so much more!

We’ve hosted The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Horse and His Boy, and now we’re thrilled to be bringing the world of Narnia back to the stage at the Ark Encounter with another world-class dramatized stage production by Logos Theatre of Prince Caspian, the fourth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis.

You won’t want to miss this stunning production by Logos Theatre!

Logos Theatre does a tremendous job—their shows really are Broadway-level, with intricate costumes, life-size creatures, and a script that’s faithful to the original book. If you’re a fan of Narnia, you will love Logos’ productions. Prince Caspian is coming to the Ark Encounter on select days, December 28, 2026–January 16, 2027.

Prince Caspian is a wonderful show for the whole family. We encourage you to plan a visit to the Ark Encounter this winter to catch a performance.

Those who attended the previous stage productions by Logos Theatre gave absolutely rave reviews about them. Don’t miss this next opportunity to experience a Logos Theatre Narnia production.

Visit ArkEncounter.com/narnia for more details and to purchase your tickets.

Have you checked out our brand-new Ark Encounter app yet?

Our web development team has been hard at work creating an app specifically for guests visiting the Ark Encounter. Available for both Apple and Android devices, our new app allows you to:

• Navigate easily with a digital park map.
• Apply filters and search the map to find exactly what you’re looking for.
• Find hours and the daily schedule at your fingertips.
• Find FAQs, attraction rules, accessibility, and more.
• Never miss animal shows or presentations again. Enjoy live updates to our digital daily schedule!

With our free app, you can start exploring before you arrive and experience the Ark like never before. We think it will be a great asset for the Ark and our guests, especially as the attraction continues to expand. Our team will maintain and add items to this app.

You can download the Ark Encounter app for free and check it out today.

Matthew West, Crowder, Cain, Jeremy Camp, and more return to the Ark Encounter for 40 Days of Christian Music. The world’s largest Christian music festival kicks off next week!

We’re thrilled to host 40 Days of Christian Music once again this year—July 28–September 5, 2026—and to hear the Lord praised and the gospel proclaimed by the musicians and speakers (last year, over 2,300 came to faith in Christ during the event!). So who can you see live in concert this year?

In addition to the artists listed above, our 2026 lineup includes:

• Passion
• Jamie MacDonald
• Jon Reddick
• David Phelps
• Jason Crabb
• Selah
• Triumphant Quartet
• Karen Peck & New River
• Mark Trammel Quartet
• The Isaacs
• The Inspirations
• Gold City
• And many more!

Concerts at the Ark are all included with Ark Encounter tickets, and the concerts at the Creation Museum are included with museum tickets. It’s a great time to make a trip to see the Ark and the museum, enjoy a live concert by one of your favorite artists, and discover new ones. And be sure to bring unsaved family and friends—there’s always a gospel presentation, and the Lord has used it to save thousands of people over the years we’ve been hosting this event.

A huge thank-you to the sponsors who make this event possible: Coca-Cola Consolidated, AdelFi Christian Banking, Savior: There Is Only One, Destiny Rescue, Singing at Sea, and SingingNews.

See the full schedule and plan your visit at 40DaysOfChristianMusic.com.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Ark Encounter officially being open to the public! Since our opening on July 7, 2016, we’ve welcomed more than 1.5 million guests each year at the life-size Noah’s Ark and our sister attraction, the Creation Museum.

Check out these photos below to see how much the Ark Encounter’s grounds have transformed over the past 10 years.

Our research indicates that every year, tens of thousands of people respond to the gospel as a result of the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, along with various aspects of the Answers in Genesis ministry. WOW!

We praise the Lord for a decade of powerfully and boldly proclaiming the truth of God’s Word at the Ark Encounter (and for all the upgrades and additions that have taken place over the past 10 years).

We’re excited to see what he does over the next 10 years!

It’s not too late to make plans to join us for our 10th Anniversary Celebration! Join us July 9–11, 2026, to hear from Ken Ham, Steve Green, and Ray Comfort and enjoy worship with TrueSong.

Registration includes a 3-day pass to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum.

You can also choose to upgrade your experience. Several optional add-on experiences are available for this event. Choose one, two, or all three when you register.

• Hear from astronauts Captain Barry Wilmore, General Charlie Duke, and Colonel Jeffrey Williams during Astronaut Encounter 2 on Saturday, July 11 (also available as a stand-alone purchase).
• Have dinner with the astronauts on Saturday, July 11.
• Enjoy dessert with Ray Comfort and Ken Ham on Friday, July 10. Receive a free copy of Ray’s book Banana Man (one per family, while supplies last).

We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you and your family. Plan your visit today!

Make plans to join us for the world’s largest Christian music festival—40 Days of Christian Music at the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum! From July 28–September 5, 2026, you can enjoy multiple daily concerts from your favorite Christian artists, including:

• Matthew West
• Jeremy Camp
• Crowder
• Triumphant Quartet
• Karen Peck & New River
• Gold City
• The Isaacs
• Jason Crabb
• And so many more!

In addition to over 120 concerts, each evening will feature an inspirational message from sought-after speakers like Ken Ham, Ray Flynn, Dennis Swanberg, Tianna Coetzee, and many more!

You can enjoy music from your favorite artists, solid Bible teaching from a variety of Bible teachers, tour the life-size Noah’s Ark, explore the grounds, take your children or grandchildren to the playground, and meet the zoo animals—all for one price!

These concerts are free with your paid admission to the Ark Encounter or the Creation Museum. All concerts will happen at 4 p.m. daily at the Ark, while Creation Museum concerts are at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Seating for all concerts is first come, first served.

We encourage you to consider an Annual Unlimited Combo for you and your family so you can attend all 40 days and not miss any of your favorite artists live in concert. This pass gives you unlimited admission to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, plus free parking, valid for one year from your first visit. Don’t miss this opportunity to make lasting memories with your loved ones!

Start planning your trip to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum today to join us for 40 Days of Christian Music! Visit 40DaysofChristianMusic.com for the full schedule.