Ark Encounter Celebrates 10 Years in Northern Kentucky

Hospitality Businesses Also Celebrate a Local Economic Boon

on July 1, 2026

Editor’s note: This article was adapted from a news release that was recently distributed to the media.

The popular Ark Encounter themed attraction is celebrating its 10th anniversary with special guest speakers, including three astronauts, and multiple other events. The celebration, starting July 9, will run three days and includes sessions with several well-known Christian speakers.

The success of the attraction, with a life-size Noah’s Ark as its centerpiece, has led to the construction of several new hotels to accommodate Ark guests. Opened July 7, 2016 south of Cincinnati, the Ark has seen local hotels, restaurants and stores grow their business. More than 1.5 million people each year visit the Ark and its sister attraction, the Creation Museum in Petersburg.

“The Ark Encounter’s 10-year anniversary is also a milestone for Northern Kentucky’s visitor economy," said Julie Kirkpatrick, President & CEO of NKY Tourism. "With more than 90% of its guests coming from outside the region, the Ark continues to draw new visitors who stay in our hotels, dine in our restaurants, explore nearby attractions, and generate meaningful sales tax revenue for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It has become a powerful economic driver and an important part of how Northern Kentucky welcomes the world.”

Ken Ham, founder of the Ark Encounter, added: “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. We’ve already grown our zoo, just opened a stunning Welcome Center, added a 4D virtual reality theater and built the large Answers Center for various programming—a convention center, if you will. The next ten years will be thrilling to watch as we see how God continues to bless the growth of this international theme park, so stay tuned.”

As part of the celebration, the Ark is holding a second Astronaut Encounter event on July 11, featuring three astronauts: Charlie Duke of the Apollo 16 mission who walked on the moon (pictured left in the photo below), Jeff Williams, who played a vital role in the early development of the International Space Station and has spent over a year in space (middle), and Barry Wilmore, who returned to earth last year after an unexpectedly long mission in the ISS due to a malfunction on the Boeing Starliner (right).

Astronauts at the Astronaut Encounter event.

The Astronaut Encounter requires a separate registration, with an optional upgrade to have dinner with the astronauts (this event sold out last year).

Additional speaking events feature Ham, the visionary behind the themed attraction and the Creation Museum, Ray Comfort from Living Waters and Steve Green, president of the Hobby Lobby chain of stores and founder and chairman of the stunning Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

During the celebrations, concerts will be performed by the Ark’s award-winning resident artists, TrueSong. Also, a drama will be staged by the Bob Jones University drama team, Never Forsaken. The poignant stage presentation tells the true story of a missionary captured during World War II and confined in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. Held inside the 2,300-seat Answers Center, the live drama explores her journey of resilience and forgiveness as well as the source of her extraordinary faith.

The Ark in 2016.

The Ark and various gardens in 2026, with the Answers Center (bottom left) and enlarged zoo (behind the ship).

Registration for the anniversary events includes a 3-day pass to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum. On Friday night, an optional upgrade for a dessert reception with Ken Ham and Ray Comfort is available as an add-on registration. The Astronaut Encounter also requires pre-registration.

Gospel Music Weekends at the Ark will be running on Friday and Saturday, where concerts are performed at the outdoor Noah’s Village Stage. These concerts are included with Ark Encounter admission. For more details, visit https://arkencounter.com/anniversary/.

Answers in Genesis is an apologetics (i.e., Christianity-defending) ministry dedicated to enabling Christians to defend their faith. It is the ministry behind the world’s leading Christian themed attractions, the Ark Encounter with a life-size (510-foot-long) Noah’s Ark, and the high-tech Creation Museum, both located in Northern Kentucky and visited by millions. Two new attractions called Truth Traveler, opened last year in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and Branson, Mo.

Kirkpatrick noted: “The Ark Encounter’s parent organization, Answers in Genesis, has been an active and engaged community partner for more than two decades. Their faith-based attractions are not simply located in the community—they are committed to serving it and are woven into the fabric of the region.”

Ken Ham is the visionary and founder of Answers in Genesis. A native Australian, Ham is the author/co-author of more than 35 books and is in-demand worldwide as a conference speaker. Ham also hosts the daily radio feature “Answers … with Ken Ham.”

Ray Comfort is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters, an evangelistic ministry that often partners with Answers in Genesis. Ray, from New Zealand originally, is also a bestselling author, having written over 100 books, including The Evidence Study Bible. He cohosts the award-winning television program Way of the Master, which airs in 190 countries.

Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby and founder of the stunning Museum of the Bible, helped grow the family business to more than 1,000 stores in 48 states, employing over 45,000 people with over $7.5 billion in annual sales in 2024. He speaks on business and philanthropy, focusing on how his faith intersects with his life endeavors. He also serves as chairman of the board for the Museum of the Bible.