Cincinnati-based World Class Creation Museum Facility Already Adding More Square Feet Prior to May Opening
by Michael Ireland
March 28, 2007
PETERSBURG, KENTUCKY (ANS) -- Although its doors have yet to open, the high-tech Creation Museum near Cincinnati, Ohio, is already expanding by 20 percent - adding about 10,000 square feet inside the state-of-the-art facility. The scheduled opening is set for Memorial Day, May 28, according to officials with Answers in Genesis, the museum's builder. The ministry notes that initial interest in the museum is such that some parts of it (including the parking area) are not large enough to handle the anticipated crowds on the busiest days. As a result, there will now be nearly 60,000 square feet to handle the expected turnout.
"The Creation Museum's expansion is due to the fact that we are seeing tremendous interest nationwide among our own supporters and the media, including many members of the international press," said AiG Founder and President Ken Ham.
The Answers in Genesis Creation Museum is a one-of-a-kind, high-tech museum, filled with animatronic displays (e.g., moving dinosaurs), striking videos, a state-of-the-art planetarium, Special Effects Theater, etc., that is spread out over 60,000 square feet incorporating up to 40-foot ceilings to contain some of its massive exhibits. The museum will go beyond telling the compelling story of the creation of life on this planet to proclaiming the Bible as supreme authority in all matters it addresses.
Set to open on May 28, 2007, at its location in northern Kentucky 2 exits west of the Cincinnati Airport, this $27 million "walk through history" museum will counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn minds against Scripture - and Jesus Christ, the Creator of the universe.
As the museum presents its walk through the history of the Bible, visitors will see real dinosaur bones (and a clutch of eggs and other exceptional fossils), view a huge casting of a mastodon, examine a superb mineral collection, take a tour of the universe inside a state-of-the-art 78-seat planetarium, and experience what they would typically find in a first-class natural history museum.
The museum's striking exhibits demonstrate to guests that the Bible is the "true history book of the universe" as they take a time journey through a visual presentation of the "Seven C's of History" according to Scripture: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross and Consummation.
The ministry already has over 7,900 charter members and tens of thousands of donors, who have helped raise more than 90 percent of the funds needed toward the museum's construction price tag of $27 million.
Media coverage from the world's major newspapers and TV networks has also helped raise interest, Ham said. On one recent day alone, Ham confirmed that 11 media calls or e-mails were received at the AiG offices. These included: a New York Times reporter, an award-winning HBO documentary producer, a correspondent with one of Brazil's largest newspapers and representatives from eight other media outlets. On Friday, a CNN crew spent the entire afternoon filming at the museum.
In addition, over the past 18 months, four different crews from the BBC have visited the construction site. International journalists also have been regularly filming and photographing the facility for advance feature stories over the last several months - a sign, ministry officials believe, of the intense interest the museum story has among worldwide media.
Because of the large media interest and the support of so many donors, the museum is now adding approximately 2,000 square feet of exhibit space to the inside of the museum complex. Some of the space involves the creation of two-story displays that take advantage of 40-foot-high ceilings, including a re-creation of a portion of Noah's Ark and an enlarged dinosaur exhibit. Another 7,000 square feet is being re-worked at the front of the building, creating a striking glass-enclosed portico as the new entryway for guests. The museum's cafe has also expanded to accommodate additional visitors. Outside the complex, an additional 85 parking spots are being added.
As a result, the expansion has meant that the construction price tag of $25 million has increased to $27 million for the museum. Organizers hope the facility - located within a day's drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population - will attract at least 250,000 visitors during its first year of operations.
As part of the museum experience, visitors will see real dinosaur bones, a number of dinosaur eggs including a clutch of eggs, and other exceptional fossils. They can also view a huge casting of a mastodon, examine a superb mineral collection, take a tour of the universe inside a state-of-the-art 78-seat planetarium, and enjoy exhibits created by a designer known for his work at Universal Studios and other theme parks.
"We are tremendously encouraged to see how God has blessed and grown this museum," Ham said. "The quality of the exhibits is on par with what you see at the best science museums anywhere in the world. I was in Orlando recently, and I would say that some of our dinosaur animatronics are as good as what you'd find at the Disney parks there."
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry (i.e., confirming the validity of the Bible) headquartered in a new facility adjacent to the museum. The organization conducts more than 300 teaching meetings each year, hosts an award-winning Web site (with up to 30,000 visitors per day), and produces the "Answers" radio program heard on more than 860 stations throughout the United States.
© 2007 ASSIST News Service, used with permission.
