Have you ever wondered what it would’ve been like to take a ride on Noah’s Ark?
An attraction in northern Kentucky that is based on the Genesis story is garnering a lot of attention from several news stations. Local and national media outlets such as NPR, The New York Times and ABC News are all talking about the new attraction.
The Ark Encounter opens Thursday (July 7, 2016). The life-sized ark, built to the specifications given to Noah in Genesis chapter 6, is 510 feet long, 86 feet wide and can hold as many as 10,000 people.
In an interview with local news station WCPO, Larry Ross said the ark is “the largest free-standing timber structure in the world.” The attraction has already pre-sold several thousand tickets for opening day.
The CEO of Answers in Genesis (the organization behind The Ark Encounter and also the creators of the nearby Creation Museum), Ken Hamm, says he believes the attraction is “going to be one of the greatest Christian outreaches of our era history.”
The makers of The Ark Encounter emphasize that the attraction is geared toward Christians and non-Christians alike. One of their main goals, besides giving people a tangible impression of the biblical story, is to share the gospel with everyone who enters the ark.
Several news stations mention the controversy the attraction has stirred. Despite the negative buzz, though, Hamm is predicting the attraction will draw as many as two million people in its first year.
You can take a look inside the impressive structure in this video below.