WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — The Ark Encounter, a life-size recreation of Noah’s Ark that has become a major tourism draw in Northern Kentucky, is marking its 10th anniversary this month with special programming including appearances by three NASA astronauts and several prominent Christian speakers.
The celebration runs through July 11 and includes speaking events, concerts and drama performances at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, according to Lane Report. Visitors can purchase a three-day pass to attend events at both the Ark Encounter and its sister attraction, the Creation Museum in Petersburg.
The Ark Encounter opened in July 2016 as the flagship attraction of Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry founded by Ken Ham. The structure stands 510 feet long, 85 feet wide and 51 feet high—built according to biblical dimensions specified in Genesis. The venue has become a significant regional economic driver, drawing visitors from across the country and internationally.
The anniversary astronaut event on Saturday, July 11, will feature Charlie Duke, who walked on the moon during the Apollo 16 mission; Jeff Williams, who spent over a year in space and contributed to early development of the International Space Station; and Barry Wilmore, who recently returned from an extended mission on the International Space Station that was prolonged by a Boeing Starliner malfunction. The Astronaut Encounter requires separate registration, with an optional upgrade for a dinner with the astronauts.
Additional speakers will include Ham, Ray Comfort from Living Waters, and Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby and founder of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The Ark’s resident musical group, TrueSong, will perform concerts, and Bob Jones University’s drama team will present a production called “Never Forsaken,” telling the true story of a missionary held in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during World War II.
Ham said the park has expanded significantly in its first decade. “New hotels continue to be built in Northern Kentucky, and inside the grounds of the Ark Encounter, we have plenty of acres to expand and build new attractions,” he said in a statement. The park has added a zoo, a Welcome Center, a 4D virtual reality theater and an Answers Center convention facility.
This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Lane Report (KY Business), enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.lanereport.com/188338/2026/07/ark-encounter-is-celebrating-its-10th-anniversary/.
