The 12 Most Helpful Tips for Visiting the Ark Encounter

Want to be ready for an amazing day at the Ark? Read on for 12 helpful tips for visiting the Ark Encounter – plus a detailed inside look at the ark layout!

Hands down my older son’s favorite stop on our two-week road trip, the Ark Encounter is a full scale replica of Noah’s Ark and an unforgettable visual presentation of the history of the Christian faith. 

Step inside the largest timber-frame structure in the world, measuring longer than a football field – this is a stop you won’t want to miss!

There’s much in store for your time at the Ark. Check out these tips to make the most of your day!

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The 12 Most Helpful Tips for Visiting the Ark Encounter

1. Money Saving Tips – Kids Get in Free and More!

The Ark Encounter offers a kid discount – ages 10 and under get in free! This is a fantastic deal and pretty significant, since a kid ages 5-10 used to require a $15 ticket – multiple kids plus the adults and that can add up fast! Adult tickets are $59.99 and kids over 10 are $31.99.

If you’re planning on also visiting the Creation Museum, purchase a combo ticket. Doing so will save you an addition $5-10 per ticket. And yes, kids 10 and under also get in free at the Creation Museum.

There’s also a 3-day Bouncer Pass, which gives you three days of unlimited visits to both attractions within one week.

Parking is $15 ($20 for oversized vehicles). If you’re a nearby resident, you can get a Local Ultimate Bouncer Family Pass, which gives you FREE PARKING (in & out privileges) and unlimited admission to both museums for a year.

They also offer military discounts and specific free days for moms and dads. Check it out here.

The food is expensive. If you’re not wanting to stay the whole day, you can plan your excursion between an early lunch and late dinner.

Ordering drinks from Noah’s Cafe inside the Event Center is a win! You can order milkshake smoothies for the kids to share and they’ll split the drinks for you. They’re quite generous! (Just be prepared to wait) 

2. Visit on a Weekday

Weekends can get pretty busy at the Ark Encounter, as families are typically off of work and school then.

If you’re able, plan to visit on a weekday to avoid crowds.

Even better, come during the school year, if you can. We went on a Friday in early June and found it not crowded at all.

3. Don’t Arrive Too Early

We timed our visit to fit in right after lunch and before dinner, to avoid a pricey meal for six. The line to purchase tickets and get on the shuttle bus was a breeze and extremely quick. This was around 1 or 2 o’clock.

At opening time of 9 o’clock, an Ark employee reported the line wound completely through the roped pathway to ticketing counter and out into the parking lot. Plan to come no earlier than 1 hour after opening to avoid this!

If you’re really intent on starting your day as early as possibly, plan to arrive 20-30 minutes before opening time to beat the rush as much as possible.

4. Use the Bathrooms at the Ark, NOT at the Ticketing Counter

A shuttle bus conveniently transports you on a short ride to the Ark Encounter grounds; it will drop you off right at the Answers Center with large, aptly cleaned, air-conditioned bathrooms. 

The options before you board the shuttle bus are port-a-johns…adequately kept, but hey, they’re port-a-johns – unpleasant conveniences, and notoriously odoriferous and stifling if it’s a hot day. Unless you have kids that just can’t hold it, plan to wait a few minutes until after the ride.

5. Plan for LOTS of walking 

The Ark Encounter is a whole day event. Little did we know before we came, the Ark Encounter is not just the museum, but a huge grounds of different activities and exploration. Particularly if you have kids, plan on spending hours reveling in all the Ark Encounter has to offer!

The grounds are a bit spread out. You’ll be dropped off at the event area, the Answers Center, at the front. Past the Answers Center are the zipline course, playground, plenty of places to eat, a fossil find, and a zoo at the back. See the map here for more details.

If it’s a hot day, there’s not too much shade, expect in the eating areas – I’d plan the outdoor time for the coolest part of the day.

6. The Ark Encounter is VERY Accessibility Friendly

You can rent wheelchairs, strollers, and electric scooters for a fee at guest services in the Answers Center. Buses are wheelchair friendly, as are the grounds and museum – there are HUGE aisles both inside the museum and outside on the grounds. Ramps take you inside the museum and from deck to deck, plus the museum has an elevator.

The buses are also stroller friendly, with a rack above to store strollers, should you bring one.

There is even assistance given for the deaf, those blind or with low vision, and those sensitive to loud noises.

7. Don’t Skip the Video Before You Enter the Ark

If there’s no wait, like we experienced, you may be temped to breeze through the ground level and enter the museum right away – don’t! Take 5 minutes and catch the pre-show time lapse video shown outside that chronicles the building of the museum over a period of 1 1/2 years. It’s a fun watch!

8. Plan Lots of Time to See the Museum

The museum is said to take 2-3 hours to get through – I would say 3 hours is more accurate, if you’re wanting to do more than just breeze through the exhibitions. And if you’re super excited to read up on all the information being presented, you could easily spend 4 hours in the museum alone.

The Ark itself is split into three decks:

Deck 1 – 

Contains the stories of Creation and The Fall leading up to flood, information on the Ark, including what it held and how it did so, the smaller animals, and the animal provisions.

The artwork throughout the museum depicting the stories is simply gorgeous. There are also intricate dioramas here and there, plus a small, fascinating replica of the ark.

We loved learning about the ways that could have been employed to care for the animals and all the thought behind which animals would have been on the ark. Dinosaurs are included and there are numerous replicas of the animals on display. 

Deck 2 – 

Consists mainly of the larger animals, plus a look at the person of Noah. There’s also a small kid area that’s super fun for them to run through. The doors of the ark are on this level and provide a perfect photo opportunity. A video, set in Noah’s time, runs on a loop at one end and is worth checking out.

Deck 3 – 

Contains details on adult life in the ark, living quarters, and food storage. They acknowledge they’ve taken creative liberties with imagining the specifics on Noah and his family, as there’s only so much given in the Bible.

There are also many sections giving an extensive look on the validity of creationism, the flood and the ark as evidenced in creation, even comparing the Biblical account to flood stories from other cultures.

These areas are really worth looking at! If you get overwhelmed with info or run out of time, take phone shots to read up on it later. 

Another video runs on loop at the end and mirrors the video on the second level, but is set in modern times.

There is much to see! And many families will also want to visit it’s sister museum, the Creation Museum. Be aware this is north of the Ark Encounter by 45 minutes and should be visited on a separate day or two.

9. Check Out the Gift Shop

The gift shop is the largest I’ve seen and also has an ice cream counter inside. I love that there’s a sizeable fair trade market area at the back.

10. If You Have Younger Kids, Don’t Miss the Playground and Zoo

The Ark Encounter is extremely kid friendly. Kids have the opportunity to encounter many different animals in the zoo, plus they offer camel rides in the back (make sure to check times on this, as their hours differ from Ark hours). 

The playground boasts bright colors and lots of ways for kids to run, climb, ride, and play. There are two small zipline type rides for them to enjoy, a tunnel for hiding and climbing, musical instruments, and more. Shade and tables are provided on the side for waiting parents.

You’ll have a chance to snap a few funny shots in their Noah and family cut-outs. Those things always give us a few giggles. 

On top of this, the Ark Encounter also has a virtual reality experience (we didn’t try this), a fossil sluice, and a zipline, aerial course, and free fall tower (last three for a separate fee). I would recommend choosing a zipline elsewhere – the fees are pretty pricey and the zipline isn’t high enough off the ground to satisfy the kid who’s truly a thrill seeker.

11. Check Out the Available Videos, Presentations, and Shows

When you first arrive, you’ll be given a schedule of the day’s events. The Answers Center offers videos, live presentations, and even concerts. The zoo also provides live animal presentations. We attended a theatrical presentation performed by the students of BJU and really enjoyed it!

You can also check out the daily program in advance online here.

12. Plan for Kid Conversations After 

Enjoying the experience of the Ark Encounter as a family opens a door to have some worthwhile conversations with kids, both as you walk through and once time has been given to process everything. 

Just getting their narrative and impressions of what they took in is valuable and could lead to some wonderful conversations!

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I hope you’ve gotten a good feel of what the Ark Encounter is and how to prepare for it to maximize your time and experience 🙂. If you’ve visited the Ark or have a desire to make the trip, feel free to leave a comment below!

This post was originally published on June 29, 2021 and has been updated.