I had no idea that a life-size replica of Noah’s Ark was so close to me. With only an hour drive, I knew I had to go and check it out. I had been learning a lot about Noah’s Ark in Bible Study. My kids learn about it at Church and thought it would be awesome to check out the life size replica in person.
The Ark Encounter
When you get to the Ark Encounter, you park and board a shuttle which takes you on a short ride. You drive up a hill and as you turn the corner you can see this Ark in all its greatness.
I was completely in awe over the immensity of such a huge structure. It was breathtaking, gigantic and unbelievable. It had my mind racing with thoughts of how this might have been completed so long ago and of God’s help in completing the monumental structure. The replica was built according to the dimensions given in the Bible. Spanning 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.
Inside the Ark
Before you walk into the Ark, your eyes are drawn to the beauty of the grounds which are absolutely breathtaking. Gorgeous flowers and plants line the property. Once you go into the Ark, there are three floors. These include information about the flood, Noah’s life, what animals might have lived on the Ark, pictures and descriptions of different parts of the Bible and how the Ark’s creators view Christianity. You could also see what Noah’s families living quarters were like.
They had an interactive exhibit with Noah and you could ask him a set of preprogrammed questions that he would answer. The very bottom of the Ark is a store with a lot of merchandise you can go through at your leisure.
Outside the Ark
Once you have completed your tour of the Ark, you can go outside and visit animals from around the world at the Ark Encounter’s Ararat Ridge Zoo and petting zoo area. The zoo is fun for the kids, with biblical teaching for all ages. Pet some friendly goats, and take a ride on a donkey or camel! They also have gem mining which the kids really enjoyed.
What’s Your View?
I know there is a lot of debate over the Ark and just religious views in general. I’m not here to strike up a debate. I am on my own spiritual journey and I really wanted to look at it just from the fact that I get to see a life size replica of Noah’s Ark. I was able to view it for all of its beauty. I also wanted it to allow me to spark up conversations with my family, my Bible Study and group and try and decide what it might mean to me.
Know Before You Go
- Wear gym shoes. There is SO much walking, you want to be comfortable.
- Give yourself all day to explore. We were there for almost 4 hours and we barely had time to read a lot of the information that was inside the Ark. The kids were running from exhibit to exhibit and then playing out side. It is definitely a day or more of exploring.
- If you want to really read through the exhibit, you may want to leave the little kids at home or bring along a helper. There is SO much information that your kiddos will get antsy!
I would love to hear if you have been to the Ark Encounter and what you thought of it!
This is a sponsored post. I was given tickets to explore and write about my experience. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for reading!
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