[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated as of February 16, 2012, to reflect the current status of the Ark Encounter project.]
Answers in Genesis, builders of the USA’s Creation Museum and parent ministry of Answers magazine, has announced that it will be constructing a full-scale Noah’s Ark.
Why build an Ark? Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, compares it to the twelve memorial stones that Joshua set up after crossing the Jordan River so “that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord” (Joshua 4:24).
“We need something significant to shake up this nation,” he says, “something that would be a clear reminder to people about the history of the Bible.”
In a national survey conducted by America’s Research Group, 63% of Americans said yes when asked, “If a replica of the Ark were constructed in America, would you take your family to see it?” A follow-up survey indicated that 1.6 million visitors would probably come the first year.
The $24.5 million Ark is the centerpiece of the theme park, called The Ark Encounter, which will eventually include eight other history-themed attractions, such as a Tower of Babel and a first-century Jewish village.
For details see ArkEncounter.com.