Kentucky Gets Noah’s Ark Theme Park
May 20, 2011 1:16 PM 
With some believing the end of the world is scheduled to occur sometime this month, officials in Kentucky have decided to embrace one of the Bible’s great tales.
The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority has given the go-ahead to issue $40 million in tax rebates in order to build a biblical theme park based on Noah’s Ark, called The Ark Encounter.
The park is expected to cost $172 million and people can pledge money to get it up and running.
Mike Zovath, who helped create the Answers in Genesis ministry and is one of the folks behind the park, told the Associated Press, “This was the last real hurdle for us as far as IÕm concerned.” Answers in Genesis has been down this road before, having built the Creation Museum. Why is Zovath now so intent on bringing the story of the ark to life in all of AmericaÕs theme park goodness? He says he wants to prove the event actually happened.
There will be plenty of attractions for visitors, including a Tower of Babel, lecture halls, shops, theaters, and, of course, a petting zoo. As for the ark itself, ABC News previously reported it will rise over three stories, with a deck that stretches longer than 35 tennis courts. It should be able to accommodate 600 train cars. One consultant with the tourism board estimates about 1.4 million people will go to the park annually.
Not everyone is thrilled with the idea, however. A group called Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told the AP Kentucky “should not be promoting the spread of fundamentalist Christianity or any other religious viewpoint.”
Of course, the logistics of building an ark can be a tad bit overwhelming. Anyone ever see Evan Almighty?
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