Column: The Ark Encounter

What is approximately 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet tall and took 100 years to build? 

No, not the Convention Center. It was The Ark, of course!

Shelby Senior Services recently sponsored a trip to see the life-size replica of this gigantic ship (photo). The trip also included a visit to the Creation Museum and a sightseeing cruise on the River Queen on the Ohio River in Cincinnati.

However, for me the Ark stood out as the most interesting.

Noah, his wife Emzara, his three sons and their wives lived on the Ark for one year when the rains began falling signaling the beginning of the flood. These eight people fed, watered and cleaned cages of thousands of animals every day.

The enormity of the task is overwhelming when one views first-hand the three floors it took to house the animals. How did he manage to keep all of the species alive all that time?

Imagine Noah searching the internet about what foods each animal needed. Just kidding. We know that God provided that information. 

Storing the provisions would have taken a tremendous amount of space. Each of the three floors, approximately 25 feet tall, is built with wooden bins stacked row upon row to the ceiling and filled with sacks full of grain or enormous clay pots filled with water.

Near the center of the Ark, Noah’s living quarters are featured. Even though this is a replica, it is logical that he and the family would need to be positioned for efficiency. Life-sized representations of Noah and his family are shown doing everyday chores of cooking, sewing, feeding animals, woodworking and much more. Many move their arms and heads while performing their tasks.

Among other necessities, the family had to eat, so they most likely raised gardens of consumables shown throughout the living quarters.

If you haven’t been to the Ark, it is very much worth the trip. It is especially educational for students who may have many questions.

The Creation Museum has been around for several years. I visited there when it first opened, however, many new features have been added to make the visit more interesting. Since I had seen the beautiful exhibits following the events of the Bible, I opted to take advantage of the additions.

One addition is the live music stage that features wonderful gospel artists. Currently, their focus is on 40 days of live gospel entertainment with special music by successful groups and individuals. I got there on day 29, so there are several days left.

Educational presentations that day offered a demonstration about live reptiles. I learned about lizards, turtles and snakes.  The presenter had these reptiles available to pet after the show.

No, I didn’t pet them. However, it was interesting.

Finally, we got to see Cincinnati from the River Queen, one of the sightseeing paddlewheel BB Riverboats. Traveling at seven miles per hour, we saw everything from the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge to the Great American Ball Park, to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, named after the founder of the Boy Scouts of America, to Paul Brown Stadium.

All in all it was a restful and fun ride.

Come and join us on a fun and educational trip. Our next free Travel Show is Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Center and it showcases the 2025 trips.

We will give some hints about the 2026 trips, too.

Call 317-398-0127 to sign up. Seating is limited.  

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