What an adventure! If you know me at all, you know I’m a planner and while I love a good adventure, it needs to be on the calendar. 🤣 So when we had the opportunity to take a last minute trip to Kentucky, a 13-hour drive from our home, I waffled back and forth. With everything in me, I wanted to go but schedules and everything called my name. Throwing caution to the wind, we loaded up the van and took off (after my husband approved, of course!) to visit the Ark Encounter.
If you missed my other post, you can catch up on it here about everything you need to know about planning a trip to the Ark Encounter. But if you already read it, keep reading here for specific tips to visiting the Ark Encounter.
ARRIVE EARLY
You’ll need the entire day to experience the Ark, the grounds, and the cafe if you like so be sure to arrive when or before they open and plan on staying until closing.
TAKE A PICTURE
Don’t forget to snap a picture at the Kodak spot of you in front of the Ark. Be sure to take pictures throughout the Ark as you walk through. They encourage pictures so take advantage of it!
BRING SNACKS
If you have kids, pack snacks and drinks. Our oldest four carried small rucksacks with a water bottle, protein bars, cheese sticks, and pretzels. It was a lifesaver during the movies! If you forget snacks, there are snack and coffee options on the ark but that can be pricey with a big family.
BUY THE ARK ENCOUNTER EXPERIENCE GUIDE
These were available in the gift shops and also right inside the door of the ark. They were wonderful for the kids to read through, do the scavenger hunts, and the activity sheets. They are fun little booklets loaded with valuable information! (We bought the bundle with all the books and it really helped keep the kids engaged throughout the Ark–not to mention, it’s a great keepsake.)
WATCH THE VIDEOS AT THE END OF EACH LEVEL
This was a favorite of all of ours, but especially the boys! They ate their snacks during the movies and felt like it was such a treat. The videos are engaging and fun to watch. We loved them!
TAKE BREAKS
While there are plenty of engaging exhibits and interactive displays, there’s also tons to read so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just take a break. Go outside and visit the zoo or walk the grounds before riding the elevator back to the level you were at. 
VISIT THE ANSWERS CENTER
This is a new building with a snack shop, gift shop with materials available for purchase, AND an auditorium for daily videos and presentations. Sadly, we ran out of time to sit through a presentation but we’re planning on it when we return!
EAT AT EMZARA’S CAFE
When the snacks didn’t cut it and we hadn’t packed a lunch in the van, we ate at the cafe just outside the Ark. The kids LOVED it and are still talking about it a week later! It’s buffet style and the prices are comparable to any other restaurant so I was pleased with that. I also loved that the drinks were included, which isn’t usually the case at most restaurants. The food was decent and the drink selection was great (all kinds of unlimited refills of sodas, juices, milks, tea, coffee).
PLAN YOUR VISIT NOW
If you can’t tell, we thoroughly enjoyed the Ark Encounter. If you’ve never been, you should plan a trip this year! Kids 10 & under are FREE this year so if you have quite a bit of kids in that age range, like I do, it’s worth it! (Even if you miss out on that deal. i still highly recommend the trip!)
Have you been to the Ark? I’d love to include your own tips to this list! If you’d like to see more pictures of our trip or read more about it, you can find pics and videos on Instagram in my Kentucky trip story highlights or read about it here.
Do not take ESA’s. They do not consider non visible disabilities acceptable as a reason to have a service animal. I have several disabilities but because my ESA is not trained to pick up keys and hand them to me or open a door for me she is not considered a working dog. It didnt matter to them that I had a paperwork related to her and that she was in a completely enclosed dog stroller that protects her as well as others. BTW she is a toy poodle. They are not welcome but the rule is posted deep in their website and we didnt see it.
I live 15 minutes north of the Ark Encounter. If you’re driving a long distance, plan on seeing the Creation Museum as well. Also, go during the week if you can. We were able to go slowly and read everything, but on the weekends it’s too crowded to do that. Also, at Christmas they have a beautiful outdoor display at the Creation Museum! It is FREE! (10.00 per car to park, but the day we went our county got free parking!)
My small group will be visiting the Ark a counter and creation next week, Oct 12-16 from PA. Do you know of any scavenger hunts for Adults, that we could do?
Robin, I’m sorry I missed this but I hope you had a wonderful trip!
So you CAN take snacks in? Or you have to leave them in your car?
We took them in with us but I’m not sure if they’ve changed their policy since we went or not.