A replica of Noah’s ark is now nestled in the rolling, green hills of Williamstown, Kentucky.
CNN reporter Carol Costello called the ark “a mind-blowing sight. The Ark follows the biblical description of the vessel constructed by Noah. Its nearly two football field’s long, and 85 feet wide. It soars eight stories above the ground. It took thousands of workers, including hundreds of Amish craftsmen, 24 months to build.
Its not completely consistent with the biblical story….the top deck of the Ark will include an upscale restaurant.
The Ark’s founder, Ken Ham, calls it “the biggest timber frame structure in the world.”
Ham runs Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry that defends Creationism.
The Ark is part of an 800-acre property called Ark Encounter, that will feature a zoo, camel rides, multiple restaurants and thousands of feet of high-speed zip lines. But Ham also sees the theme park as an evangelical tool
He told CNN “We didn’t build this just to be entertainment like Disney. We built it for religious purposes.”
Kentucky’s governor, Matt Bevin said the park is projected to bring in millions of tourism dollars and create hundreds of jobs.
That has Williamstown residents excited. Joyce Robbins, whose family owns Webster’s Woodworking told CNN “I think it’s going to bring in business to the town. How could that not be the perfect solution for rebuilding our community?”