Our Trip to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky
The Ark was the main attraction on our recent youth group trip. As you know, we visited the Cincinnati Zoo and the Newport Aquarium first. We saved the best for last. Join us on our trip to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky.
The Ark is enormous. I mean, obviously. The measurements are in the Bible. You learn about Noah’s big ark in Sunday School. But to stand there and see it in person is incredible. Unbelievable.
Before boarding the Ark
Actually, let’s back it up. When you pull into the parking lot, you’re probably 1-2 miles from the Ark. You park, buy your tickets (or pick them up at Will Call). Next you get in line and pile onto a bus.
The bus drops you off at a large convention center. Inside, you’ll find restrooms, a small gift shop, a book store, a large auditorium and a coffee joint. Sadly, the coffee spot is not called “Hebrews”… seems like a missed opportunity there. Oh well.
When you’re ready to experience the Ark, you must first pass through the rainbow. Even on an overcast and chilly day, the rainbow shines bright. Don’t forget to take pics first.
After you pass through the rainbow, you’ll finally get a good, unobstructed view of the Ark. This is a great place for photos!
After sufficiently embarrassing all the kids with family pics, we made the journey into the Ark.
The first level of the Ark Encounter
The Ark, as it was designed here, has three main levels inside. The group who built this one seemed to think of everything. I was in complete awe of how they designed things – things that are not explicitly written out in the Bible. Surely Noah had some divine inspiration when it came to designing the interior and animal enclosures, but the group that built this earlier this century did not.
The first level is kind of dark. This is the part of the ship that would have been submerged in the flood. As you walk around, there is a soundtrack of storm noises and creaking wood to set the mood. This terrified Remy. I was unprepared for him to totally freak out.
I’m so grateful for the village of people we were traveling with… the kids helped me carry Remy (when he would let them) and push the stroller so I could carry Remy. Eventually, Remy climbed onto the scooter with Miss Mindy. He was perfectly still – still unsure of his surroundings – until an employee told us he had to walk. Boo.
There is a basic flow of traffic you are encouraged to follow. But it is not terribly strict. At first we tried to keep our group together, eventually we kind of let some meander at their own speed.
The second level of the Ark Encounter
In my opinion, the first level is the most interesting. The second level houses some larger animal enclosures and a lot of artwork. It’s also where they assumed the workshops would have been (possibly). It stands to reason that Noah and his family would have had to build things during their time aboard.
The third level of the Ark Encounter
One side of the third level has been designated as living quarters for Noah’s family. Again, this is kind of one of those things I never really considered in my reading. But obviously they needed places to stay, cook, worship, relax.
The kids were getting restless. Some grumblings of “all the reading” and whatnot. I think the issue was hunger, not boredom. I actually stopped on the second level to purchase chips and water for Remy. So, bring snacks or be prepared to buy some. It’s quite the walk.
The remainder of the third level is essentially proof that the flood happened, that the Bible is nonfiction. I enjoyed some of the displays like the case for all races stem from one family or the wisdom of ancient man.
Remy wasn’t terribly interested in reading… so I didn’t spend as much time here as I might have liked. When our group was finished exploring the third level of the Ark, we made our way down to the bottom. In total Disney-fashion, you exit through the gift shop. The gift shop was SO CROWDED, just walking through it gave me anxiety. Yuck. LOTS of people. Lots of people in a smallish space.
Lunch at the Ark Encounter
We ate lunch at Emzara’s Kitchen. This is the part of the trip that gives me the most pause… feeding my allergy boys at a new place. At the register, when telling the lady how many were in our party, I told her we had food allergy concerns. She asked me to wait off to the side for a minute. A manager came out with a laminated copy of the day’s menu and all of the allergen’s listed. She asked what we needed to avoid; I told her eggs. She ran down the buffet list of what was acceptable and not for the boys. It was going to be a good day – Riley was allowed to eat the fried chicken, and Remy could have the macaroni. Praise the Lord.
In all seriousness, the way that this restaurant was on top of the allergen list made me comfortable. And that’s priceless to me. As an allergy mom, I can tell when a restaurant doesn’t clearly understand the severity or appreciate our fears. This one did.
Even though he could, Remy didn’t eat a ton. He was more interested in playing with his food.
The food at Emzara’s Kitchen was yummy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
And just like that, it was time to leave. The kids hit up the gift shop, each came home with a new stuffed animal.
For more information on the Ark Encounter in Kentucky, visit their website.
