



Answers In Genesis, the Christian ministry behind the Creation Museum in Hebron, Kentucky — where dinosaurs and cavemen live in harmony — is expanding with a new $155 million religious theme park. The Ark Encounter, slated for construction next year on 800 acres of farmland, will boast a replica of Noah's Ark, built by Amish carpenters, a Tower of Babel, and other attractions.

"The ark is really a different approach" from the museum, (Answers In Genesis co-founder Mike) Zovath said. "It's really not about creation-evolution, it's about the authority of the Bible starting with the ark account in Genesis…."

Zovath said the ark will have old-world details, like wooden pegs instead of nails, straight-sawed timbers and plenty of animals, some alive, some robotic like The Creation Museum's dinosaurs. He said it has not yet been determined how many live animals will be in the boat during visiting hours, but the majority will be stuffed or animatronic. At their count, Noah had anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 on board.

There are a handful of replica arks around the world, but Zovath said this one will be authentic inside and out.

"When you get to walk through the boat and see how big this thing really was, and how many cages were there, and how much room there was for food and water … our hope is people start seeing that this is plausible, that the account could be believed," Zovath said.