*This post is sponsored by the Ark Encounter, Williamstown, Kentucky, and Country Inn and Suites® Georgetown, Kentucky. All opinions are 100% my own. Please see my disclosure policy.
I made a video of my family’s trip to the Ark Encounter, and I also made a video featuring our hotel accommodations. Watch both videos below, and then come back for all the extra photos and details!
The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky is a life-size Noah’s Ark that was built according to the dimensions given in the Bible. Touring the ark is a spectacular experience; and while it is the main attraction, it is just one of many activities at the Ark Encounter venue.
Facts about the Ark
The ark is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high. It was made with 3.3 million board feet of timber and is the largest timber-frame structure in the world. One of the reasons for the development of the Ark Encounter was to answer people’s questions about the Flood of Noah’s day.
The life-size ark allows guests to experience what Noah’s life may have been like while on the ark. It is difficult to imagine just how large Noah’s Ark was, but the Ark Encounter gave my family a real-life perspective of the magnificence of it.
The Ark Encounter was also established as a testimony and witness to today’s generation and the generations to come. As Christians, we are able to escape the judgment and condemnation of sin through Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. He offers us rescue from the eternal punishment of sin just as the Ark offered a way of escape and safety for Noah and his family. The ark is one of the greatest pictures of Jesus in Scripture.
Ark Encounter Ticket Recommendations
I definitely recommend purchasing the Ark and Creation Museum Combo Ticket option. We visited the Creation Museum the day before our visit to the Ark Encounter, and the two venues complement each other through their biblical and educational missions.
Related Family Travel Post: A Day at the Creation Museum and Hotel Review of Country Inn and Suites® Hebron, Kentucky
After securing our wristbands and tickets, we took a short bus ride to The Answers Center. It hosts a gift shop, food options, a 2400-seat auditorium for speaker presentations and special music concerts, restrooms, and more. We were given a schedule at the ticket counter highlighting all the special events in the Answers Center for the day.
Ark Encounter Activities
The Truth Traveler Virtual Reality Experience is not included with general admission; however, we purchased additional tickets for this activity. We traveled back in time to witness the events of Noah’s day, and let me just say, it felt real! I had to lift my virtual reality head piece off my eyes a couple times to get back to reality! My kids did much better with the experience than I! It was super fun, and we all wanted to do it again when it was over. It is well worth the extra money.
Imagining the size of the ark is difficult until you visit! With a ground level and three expansive decks, it is breathtaking and overwhelming on the outside and inside. Be prepared to do a lot of walking; however, wheelchairs, electric scooters, and strollers are available for rental if those services are needed.
As a homeschool mom, I truly appreciated all the educational information presented in the exhibits. Due to the vast amount of information, my family definitely plans to visit the Ark Encounter again in the future.
Some of the Ark Encounter Exhibits Include…
how Noah may have fed the animals and disposed of their wastes
if insects and spiders were on the Ark
food and water storage for Noah’s family and the animals
animal housing including the smallest animals to the largest
lighting and ventilation on the Ark
how the animals could fit on the Ark
the significance of the Ark door
Noah’s family’s living quarters
the 7 D’s of Deception regarding story books and the true story of Noah’s Ark
trusting the Bible as God’s Holy Word
Creation versus Evolution
Babel, the Ice Age, and Flood geology
…and much more!!!
We also watched two outstanding videos in the ark theaters: the Noah Interview and As in the Days of Noah.
Ark Encounter Shopping and Food
Another large gift shop is located in the lower level of the ark, and you can take home stuffed animals, jewelry, books/DVDs, homeschool curriculum, fudge, and other souvenir-type items.
Food options include Emzara’s, a buffet-style restaurant; soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream; funnel cakes; and grill items such as pizza, burgers, and hot dogs.
Ark Encounter Playground and Zoo
My children loved the family playground. It is honestly the most amazing playground we have ever experienced!
We also took a walk through the Ararat Ridge Zoo, and it was so exciting to see the kangaroos, lemurs, zebras, camels, ostriches, and a lot of other animals that were like those on the ark with Noah!
Experiencing the Ark Encounter is a faith-building adventure. I am so thankful that God provided a way of rescue for me through the Ark and through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection from the grave. We serve a risen Savior, and God’s sovereignty over His wonderful world is on display at the Ark Encounter.
Ark Encounter Hotel Accommodations
After visiting the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, my family traveled to Georgetown, Kentucky, where we checked-in at Country Inn and Suites®.
This hotel is conveniently located off I-75 and is within walking/driving distance of many restaurant options. We ate Italian at Fazoli’s our first night at the hotel and cheeseburgers at Culver’s the second night.
Country Inn and Suites® Georgetown, Kentucky is an excellent hotel option near the Ark Encounter as it is a short thirty-minute drive down the interstate.
The hotel has beautiful landscaping with pretty flowers and shrubbery along the parking areas. Guests are welcomed to the hotel by a modern lobby that has an at-home feel. A balcony overlooks the lobby and breakfast areas, and a small seating area is also located on the second floor.
Check-in Country Inn and Suites® Georgetown, Kentucky
Hotel Address: 131 Darby Drive, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324
Hotel Phone Number: 502-868-6800
Hotel Check-in/Check-out Times: 3 p.m. / 12 noon
The check-in receptionist was very kind when welcoming me to the hotel. We chatted about my family’s visit to the Ark Encounter, and we all interacted with her a few other times during our stay as we went to-and-from the hotel. She likes visiting the Ark at Christmastime and said the lights are beautiful. She was thorough in her explanation to me about breakfast, the hotel WIFI password, location of the elevators, and other general check-in information.
Room Accommodations Country Inn and Suites® Georgetown, Kentucky
My family was accommodated with a double queen room. In similar fashion to the Country Inn and Suites® in Hebron, Kentucky, this hotel has also been updated in the recent past and has newer headboards, more modern furniture, and well-lit bathrooms. The hotel has modern outlets with USB plugs. This was an especially nice feature since I accidentally brought my phone cord without the head!
A large decorative mirror was on the outside of the bathroom door, and this feature gave more dressing options for our family. Our room had a desk with chair, a chair for additional seating, and an attractive luggage rack/stool.
Our sheets were clean, the beds were comfortable with plenty of pillows, and towel sets were provided for our family of four. We were given fresh towels for our second day at the hotel.
Our room also provided traditional hotel amenities including an iron/ironing board, mini fridge and microwave, free WIFI, and a flatscreen TV.
Other Hotel Amenities at the Country Inn and Suites® Georgetown, Kentucky
The hotel features a nice fitness center and indoor pool/hot tub area. My children and husband swam both nights in the pool and had a blast! The hotel was really peaceful and quiet, and after a day of walking at the Ark and a night of swimming in the pool, we definitely slept well!
A full breakfast buffet was available with waffles, biscuits and gravy, eggs, bagels/toast, cereal, fruit, muffins, yogurt, apples/bananas, milk and juice. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were offered free of charge in the hotel lobby, and vending options were available for purchasing snacks.
