Ark Encounter news

National and international news and views about the Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter project.

2010

December

• December 2. WBKO-TV, Channel 13, ABC. Bowling Green, Kentucky. USA. Proposal for Religious Theme Park Unveiled. Associated Press story.

• December 2. Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. USA. Kentucky governor says jobs are behind incentives for religious theme park by Shawntaye Hopkins, Lexington Herald-Leader.

• December 2. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Kentucky governor says jobs are behind incentives for religious theme park by Shawntaye Hopkins.

• December 2. Louisville Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Editorial | Creationist tourism. Editorial. Opposes Ark Encounter Project.
  "Gov. Steve Beshear needs a vacation. Indeed, he should have taken it this week."
  "Other than extreme fatigue, how else can one explain his embrace of a project to build a creationism theme park in Northern Kentucky (near the Creation Museum) and the apparent willingness of his administration to offer tourism-development tax incentives to developers of the park?"
  "Even if technically legal (in that the law allowing the tax breaks doesn't discriminate against other religious or anti-religious views), a state role in a private facility that would be built by a group called Answers in Genesis and espouses a fundamentalist view resting on biblical inerrancy indirectly promotes a religious dogma. That should never be the role of government."

• December 2. Forbes.com. Private investors look to build Noah's Ark in Ky. by Roger Alford, Associated Press.

• December 2. KTVZ-TV, Channel 21, NBC. Bend, Oregon. USA. Private Investors Look To Build Noah's Ark In Ky. by Roger Alford, Associated Press.
  "FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Modern-day investors want to do in three years what took Noah and his sons more than 100 years to do: Build an ark to the dimensions specified in the Bible.
  "Mike Zovath, co-founder of the Answers in Genesis ministry that opened the Creation Museum in Kentucky three years ago, said Wednesday he believes the full-scale replica of Noah's Ark will draw some 1.6 million visitors a year to the Bible belt city of Williamstown."

• December 2. MSNBC.COM. USA. Private investors look to build Noah's Ark in Ky. Associated Press story.

• December 2. MSNBC.COM. USA. Full-Scale Noah's Ark Planned In Northern Ky. - Ark Encounter To Add Up To 900 Jobs. WLKY.com story.

• December 2. WNCT-TV, Channel 9, CBS. Greenville, North Carolina. USA. Private investors look to build Noah's Ark in Ky. Associated Press story.

• December 2. Daily Mail Online. London, England. $150m plan unveiled for biggest-ever religious theme park with full-scale Noah’s Ark by Daily Mail reporter.
  "A full-scale Noah's Ark is to be built as part of a proposed $150million creationism-themed amusement park in Kentucky."
  "A theme park version of the Biblical ark will mark the focal point of the tourist attraction, which will also feature a walled city, a replica of the Tower of Babel, a recreation of a first-century Middle Eastern village and a 500-seat special effects theatre."

• December 1. WFPL-FM, 89.3, NPR. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. In Depth: Beshear Defends Tax Breaks For Theme Park by Tony McVeigh.
  "State tax breaks are being offered as an incentive to lure a religious theme park to northern Kentucky and questions are being raised about such use of public dollars."
  "The same people who developed the $30 million Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, are now envisioning an 800-acre religious theme park featuring a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark. The park, to be called Ark Encounter, is proposed for farmland along I-75 in Grant County. Mike Zovath of Answers in Genesis says the $150 million project will be privately funded."

• December 1. Baptist Press. Nashville, Tennesse. USA. Full-scale Noah's Ark park planned for Ky. compiled by Michael Foust.
  "FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP)--The same group behind the Creation Museum is partnering with another group to build a full-scale version of Noah's Ark that will anchor a family oriented Bible-theme attraction costing an estimated $150 million."

• December 1. Mother Jones. San Francisco, California. USA. Kentucky Offers Tax Breaks for Noah's Ark Theme Park by Tim Murphy.
  "At a press conference in Frankfort today, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced his unlikely plan to save the state's economy—by offering a massive tax incentive to the planners of Ark Encounter, an eco-friendly Noah's Ark theme park to be built outside Cincinnati. Building a Genesis-based theme park, during a recession? Shouldn't he be focusing on Job?"

• December 1. Gawker. USA. Kentucky to Build Greatest Religious Amusement Park Ever posted by Jim Newell.

• December 1. Slate. New York, New York. USA. Kentucky Announces Creationist Theme Park. Taken from Gawker website.

• December 1. Log Cabin Democrat. Conway, Arkansas. USA. Investors look to build Noah’s Ark in Ky. Associated Press story...but much longer and more detailed than previous stories.

• December 1. Todd's Blog]. Dayton, Tennessee. USA. Ark Encounter by Todd Wood.

• December 1. Alexander Cornswalled blog. USA. Defending the Faith. A nice blog posting encouraging Kentucky governor Steve Beshear's support of the Ark Encounter theme park.

• December 1. Pharyngula blog. Morris, Minnesota. USA. Gov. Beshear has been twittered by PZ Myers. Twitter comments courtesy of Joe Sonka.

• December 1. Barefoot and Progressive blog. Kentucky. USA. Steve Beshear humiliates the state of Kentucky (VIDEO UPDATE) by Media Czech, a.k.a. Joe Sonka, a left-wing political activitist blogger.

• December 1. Ark Encounter YouTube channel. USA. Much information about the Ark Encounter project. Interviews with Ken Ham, Mark Looy, Mike Zovath, Pat Marsh, and Cary Summers. Includes overview of the project.

• December 1. WFIE-TV, Channel 14, NBC. Evansville, Indiana. USA. Noah's Ark theme park coming to Kentucky by Chris McGill. Same news item as WAVE-TV.

• December 1. WAVE-TV, Channel 3, NBC. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Replica of Noah's Ark coming to Northern Kentucky by Chris McGill.

• December 1. People for the American Way (PAW) blog. Washington, D.C. USA. GOP Leaders Get Back to Basics: Art Censorship! by Drew. A rather bizarre rant that attempts to tie the Smithsonian's exhibit of a video featuring a statue of Jesus crawling with ants, to the announcement by Kentucky governor Steve Beshear of the Ark Encounter theme park.

• December 1. WEKU-FM, 88.9, NPR. Richmond, Kentucky. USA. State Incentives for Religious Theme Park by Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public Radio, Capitol Bureau. Includes audio and transcript.

• December 1. KFVS-TV, Channel 12, CBS. Cape Girardeau, Missouri. USA. Proposal for religious theme park unveiled. Associated Press story.

• December 1. WLWT-TV, Channel 5, NBC. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Proposal For Religious Theme Park Officially Unveiled. The video clip is a MUST see!

• December 1. Business First. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. New Ky. theme park might create 900 jobs.

• December 1. Cincinnati Business Courier blog. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Details revealed for Kentucky's Ark park by Lucy May.
  "Faithful readers of the Courier will not be surprised by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear’s announcement today about Ark Encounter, a new Noah’s Ark tourist attraction being planned for Northern Kentucky."
  "The Courier broke the news of this $150 million development Nov. 19. And at a news conference this morning, Beshear confirmed many of the details that we reported then."

• December 1. WTVQ-TV, Channel 36, ABC. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Ark Encounter Planned In Kentucky by Gary Lacy.
  “We are excited to join with the Ark Encounter group as it seeks to provide this unique, family friendly tourist attraction to the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “Bringing new jobs to Kentucky is my top priority, and with the estimated 900 jobs this project will create, I am happy about the economic impact this project will have on the Northern Kentucky region.”

• December 1. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Creation museum to get wooden ark, theme park by Shawntaye Hopkins.

• December 1. CNN News. USA. Full-Scale Replica Of Noah's Ark Planned for outside Cincinnati. Featured on CNN's religion blog pages. WLWT-TV story.

• December 1. Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. USA. Kentucky creationism theme park developers seek tax support by Stephenie Steitzer. Louisville Courier-Journal article.

• December 1. ABC News. USA. Proposal for Religious Theme Park to Be Unveiled. Associated Press story.

• December 1. Huffington Post. USA. Creationist Theme Park Supported By Democratic Kentucky Governor posted by Nick Wing.
  "A massive replica of Noah's Ark stretching three stories high and the distance of two football fields may soon be on its way to Northern Kentucky, where it will make its home as the staple of a creationist theme park, Ark Encounter. In an interesting twist, the creationist park is supported by the state's Democratic governor, Steve Beshear."

• December 1. KyPost.com. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. New N.Ky. theme park plans unveiled by Jeannine Gallenstein.
  "FRANKFORT, Ky. - Plans for a new Northern Kentucky theme park were unveiled Wednesday morning in Frankfort, Ky."
  "Governor Steve Beshear joined Ark Encounter LLC and Answers in Genesis, the developers of the Creation Museum, with details of "Ark Encounter" that will be built in Grant County. The theme park is expected to be built near Veteran's Cemetery in Williamstown, but multiple sites are being considered."

• December 1. WDRB-TV, Channel 41, Fox. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Noah's Ark attraction set for northern Kentucky

• December 1. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. USA. Founders of Creation Museum propose religious theme park in Williamstown in northern Kentucky. Associated Press story.

• December 1. USA Today. USA. Developers plan a creationism theme park in Kentucky posted by Doug Stanglin.

• December 1. Louisville Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. announces creationism theme park to open in 2014, with $250 million impact by Stephenie Steitzer.

• December 1. CNBC.com. USA. Proposal for religious theme park to be unveiled. Associated Press story.

• December 1. The Creation vs Evolution Controversy blog. USA. Ark Encounter Press Release.

• December 1. Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington. Kentucky. USA. Proposal for religious theme park to be unveiled. Associated Press story.

• December 1. Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Creation theme park planned by Mark Hansel. Front page pdf of Cincinnati Enquirer. See also same front page story in Kentucky Enquirer.

• December 1. The Creation vs Evolution Controversy blog. USA. Atheist Bloggers Attack Kentucky Governor by Crevo Press.

• December 1. Friendly Atheist blog. USA. Kentucky’s Governor Announces Expansion of Creation Museum by Hemant Mehta.
  "I don’t like that the Creation Museum in Kentucky is expanding, but it’s their money and they can do what they want with it."
  "I do have a problem, however, with the official announcement being made alongside Governor Steve Beshear."

• December 1. Pharyngula blog. Morris, Minnesota. USA. Short notice and bad creationist politics. P.Z. Myers calling for Internet campaign against governor.
  "Answers in Genesis is planning to build an idiotic creationist theme park in Kentucky — we've known that for a little while now. The latest news, though, is that they've brought Steve Beshears, governor of Kentucky, on board to participate in a press conference announcing the latest accomplishment of creationism. That's right, the Democratic governor of Kentucky is going to endorse this latest monument to ignorance and miseducation."

• December 1. The Republic. Columbus, Indiana. USA. Founders of Creation Museum propose religious theme park in Williamstown in northern Kentucky. Associated Press story.

• December 1. Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. USA. Proposal for religious theme park to be unveiled. Associated Press story. Second oldest newspaper in Texas.

• December 1. WKRN-TV, Channel 2, ABC. Nashville, Tennessee. USA. Proposal for religious theme park to be unveiled. Associated Press story.

• December 1. West Kentucky Star. Paducah, Kentucky. USA. Creation Museum to Unveil 'Ark Encounter' Plans. Associated Press story.

• December 1. MSNBC.COM. USA. Giant Noah's Ark likely landing in Kentucky.
  "FRANKFORT, Ky. — A huge replica of Noah's Ark and an 800-acre creationist theme park reportedly are coming to Grant County, Ky., according to NBC station WLEX."
  "Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Answers in Genesis, builders of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., are expected to unveil plans Wednesday for the $150 million northern Kentucky attraction, WLEX and other area news outlets reported."

November

• November 30. The Creation vs Evolution Controversy blog. USA. Creation Museum to Open Theme Park.

• November 30. KyPost.COM. Cincinnati, Ohio., USA. Gov. Beshear expected to make big announcement tomorrow

• November 30. The Sensuous Curmudgeon blog. USA. Kentucky’s Governor Is a Flaming Idiot.
  "There are many ways to be stupid, but today we have an account of a truly spectacular public display of world-class stupidity. And more. Much more. Stick around."

• November 30. nky.cincinnati.com. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Beshear to announce creationist theme park for Kentucky by Mark Hansel. Kentucky/Cincinnati Enquirer website.

• November 30. Portland Humanist Examiner. Portland, Oregon. USA. Creation Museum plans Noah's Ark religious themed amusement park by Michael Stone.

• November 30. MSNBC.COM. USA. Full-Scale Replica Of Noah's Ark Planned For Grant Co. WLWT-TV article. NOTE: original story has been corrected.

• November 30. WXIX-TV, Channel 19, Fox. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Religious-themed amusement planned for Grant County

• November 30. Barefoot and Progressive blog. Kentucky. USA. Steve Beshear to flaunt new Creation Museum theme park tomorrow by Media Czech.

• November 30. WLEX-TV, Channel 18, NBC. Lexington, Kentucky. USA. Beshear Expected To Announce "Noah's Ark" Theme Park Project For Grant County.

• November 30. WLWT-TV, Channel 5, NBC. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Full-Scale Replica Of Noah's Ark Planned For Boone Co. WLWT-TV article incorrectly identifies the site as in Boone County, rather than Grant County.

• November 30. Louisville Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. USA. Proposed creationism theme park to seek tax incentives from Kentucky by Stephenie Steitzer . NOTE: the first story on the Courier-Journal website was a reposting of the Cincinnati Enquirer blog posting. The Enquirer article has been replaced with this new article.

• November 30. Cincinnati.com blog. Cincinnati, Ohio. Announcement Wednesday on creationist theme park by Amanda Van Benschoten. Kentucky/Cincinnati Enquirer website.
  "Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Answers in Genesis, builders of the Creation Museum in Petersburg, will unveil plans for a new Northern Kentucky attraction tomorrow morning in Frankfort."
  "The themed park, to be called Ark Encounter, will be located in Grant County near the Veteran’s Cemetery."

• November 30. Grant County News. Dry Ridge, Kentucky. USA. Noah's Ark in Williamstown? by Jamie Baker-Nantz, editor.
  "Talk of a “big” development has captured the imaginations of Grant County residents for the last several months."
  "Is it a Cabela’s? Is it a water park? Is it a giant shopping complex?"
  "Local officials aren’t talking, but a story printed in last week’s Cincinnati’s Business Courier, which cited unnamed Williamstown city officials, said the big development is a $150 million religious theme park complete with a replica of Noah’s Ark."

• November 27. Pharyngula blog. Morris, Minnesota. USA. P.T. Barnum was right by P.Z. Myers.
  "The Creation "Museum" is expanding and building a theme park. It's simply a fact that Ken Ham's Institution of Ignorance is doing business like gangbusters — it is well-attended and successful, has low-brow appeal, has negligible operating expenses (unlike a real museum), and is drawing in crowds of rubes and doing a great job of separating them from their money."

• November 24. Todd's Blog. Dayton, Tennessee. USA. AIG to open amusement park?.

• November 22. WSCH-FM, 99.3. Lawrenceburg, Indiana. USA. Creation Museum May Become Creation Amusement Park.
  "(Petersburg, Ky.) - Roller coasters and bumper cars may be in the works for western Boone County. The Creation Museum in Petersburg is reportedly planning a Noah’s Ark-themed amusement park. An official announcement is expected by museum owner Answers in Genesis Nov. 29."

• November 22. Death and Taxes. "...an indie music and culture website." New York City, New York. USA. In Praise of The Creation Museum’s Noah’s Ark Amusement Park by Andrew Belonsky.
  "Creationism remains remarkably popular among Americans, with about 44% of the population affirming their belief that God made everything, in 7 days, and that dinosaurs were along for the ride. Now those people can take the vacation of their dreams, because Kentucky’s Creation Museum will reportedly open a Noah’s Ark amusement park. Amen."

• November 22. Secular Cafe discussion forum. USA. Creation museum plans theme park.

• November 22. Barefoot and Progressive blog. Kentucky. USA. New Creation Museum theme park coming further down I-75? You betcha! by Media Czech.

• November 22. Friendly Atheist blog. USA. A Creation Museum Theme Park Contest by Hemant Mehta.

• November 21. Skepchick blog. USA. Creation Museum Theme Park by Evelyn.

• November 20. MSNBC.COM. USA. Creation Museum Plans Theme Park Expansion. WLWT-TV article. WLWT-TV video link has been removed.

• November 20. The Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Religious theme park discussed. Noah's Ark project might be on its way by Dan Horn. Business section, page B3.

• November 20. Topix. Palo Alto, California. USA. Theme park planned for N.Ky.? posted by roboblogger. One sentence summary and link to KyPost.com article.

• November 19. Center for Inquiry discussion forum. USA. Creation Museum Plans Theme Park Expansion.

• November 19. Yahoo News. USA. Will Creation Museum Build Noah's Ark Theme Park? WLWT-TV video.

• November 19. WLWT-TV, Channel 5, NBC. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Creation Museum Plans Theme Park Expansion Announcement Expected Soon, But Officials Mum On Details. Includes video photo shown on Friday evening's 5 pm news broadcast.

• November 19. KyPost.com. Cincinnati, Ohio., USA. Theme park planned for N.Ky.?by Carole Rawlins.

• November 19. WCPO-TV, Channel 9, ABC. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Theme park planned for N.Ky.? by Carole Rawlins. Reposting of KyPost.com article.

• November 17. Cincinnati Business Courier. Cincinnati, Ohio. USA. Noah’s park: $150M project eyed in Kentucky by Business Courier staff. "Last Modified: Friday, November 19, 2010, 12:21 pm EST"