Creation Museum facts for kids
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The front of the Creation Museum
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| Established | May 28, 2007 |
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| Location | Petersburg, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Type | Creation apologetics ministry |
| Visitors | 254,074 (2011) |
| Founder | Ken Ham |
| Owner | Answers in Genesis |
The Creation Museum is a museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, United States. It shares a specific view about how the universe and life on Earth began. This view is called young Earth creationism (YEC). It suggests that the Earth is about 6,000 years old. This idea comes from reading the Book of Genesis in the Bible very literally.
The museum is run by an organization called Answers in Genesis (AiG). It cost about $27 million to build, using money from private donations. It first opened its doors on May 28, 2007.
Inside the museum, which is about 75,000 square feet, you can find many exhibits. There's a special effects theater, a planetarium, and even a skeleton of an Allosaurus dinosaur. The museum also has a collection of insects.
The Creation Museum shows humans and dinosaurs living together. It also teaches that the Earth is only about 6,000 years old. This is different from the theory of evolution. Many scientists and educators have criticized the museum. They say it doesn't show science accurately.
Contents
Understanding the Museum's Ideas
The Creation Museum presents a literal reading of the Bible's creation story. This is the main idea of young Earth creationism (YEC). Answers in Genesis (AiG) owns and runs the museum.
AiG says the museum's goal is to honor Jesus Christ as the Creator. It also aims to help Christians share their faith. AiG founder Ken Ham explained that they want to encourage people to believe in Jesus.
YEC teaches that God created the Universe in six 24-hour days. This happened about 6,000 years ago. This idea is different from what most scientists believe. Scientists say the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. They also believe that living things have changed over long periods through evolution.
Even with these different views, many people in the U.S. support the biblical account of human origins. This support helped the museum raise all its money from private donations. A 2016 survey found that 35% of Americans believe humans and other living things have always looked as they do now.
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How the Museum Started
Since 1994, Answers in Genesis (AiG) planned to open a museum. They chose a location in Petersburg, Kentucky. This spot is close to a major airport. AiG founder Ken Ham felt America was the best place to reach a global audience.
In 1996, AiG asked Boone County to change the land use for the museum. The county first said no. They were worried about the nearby Big Bone Lick State Park, which has many fossils. In 1999, new leaders approved a different location. This allowed construction to begin.
AiG bought the land in May 2000. They first planned a 30,000 square foot museum. It was expected to cost $14 million. But after seeing how many visitors might come, they made the museum bigger. It grew to 75,000 square feet. The final cost was about $27 million. All the money came from private donations.
Opening Day and Early Years
The Creation Museum officially opened on May 28, 2007. About 4,000 visitors came on the first day. Many news outlets from around the world covered the event.
Some people also protested outside the museum. They wanted to show that not everyone agreed with the museum's ideas. They felt the museum's "science" was not accurate.
The local tourism office used the museum to attract more visitors. They hoped it would bring in religious groups for conventions. In October 2007, signs were put up on highways to guide people to the museum. AiG paid for these signs.
Growing the Museum
The museum has continued to expand over the years. In April 2016, plans were approved for a new three-level building. This expansion was expected to cost between $15 million and $20 million.
In November 2019, a $3 million expansion opened. It included a new 4D theater. More exhibits were also added to this area.
In October 2021, the museum announced more plans. They want to improve their main auditorium. They also plan to add an "Eden Teaching Center." This will include new animal facilities and classrooms.
Visitor Numbers
AiG thought 250,000 people would visit in the first year. But they reached that number in just over five months. In its first year, 404,000 people visited the museum.
By mid-2015, 2.4 million people had visited the museum in total. This was an average of about 300,000 visitors per year.
In 2016, some public schools started taking field trips to the museum. This led to discussions about whether it was appropriate. In response, Ken Ham offered a special price for student groups. Students could enter for $1 each, and teachers for free.
In 2017, after the Ark Encounter opened, the Creation Museum saw a big jump in visitors. Over 800,000 people visited that year. This was nearly three times the usual number. By April 2021, the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter together had welcomed 10 million visitors.
What You See Inside
The Creation Museum covers 75,000 square feet. In the planetarium, you can watch a show about how the universe began. It offers creationist ideas as alternatives to the Big Bang theory. The planetarium was updated in 2020. It now has more seats and better equipment.
There's also a 200-seat theater with special effects. The seats vibrate, and mist sprays the audience. A film shows two angels saying, "God loves science!" The museum also has a restaurant and a gift shop. Outside, there are walking trails and a 5-acre lake.
Patrick Marsh, who designed attractions for Universal Studios, helped design the museum's exhibits. Many videos and displays were created by experts. In 2009, an exhibit about natural selection was added. It shows models of finches, like those Charles Darwin studied. Another exhibit suggests that old stories of monsters and dragons might be about real encounters with dinosaurs.
An animatronic character called "Dr. Crawley" is also on display. He explains that the variety of bugs shows they must have been created by God.
Dinosaurs are a big part of the museum. Ken Ham said they want to "take the dinosaurs back" from those who teach evolution. Some dinosaur models move, while others are made from fiberglass. One display shows children playing peacefully near dinosaurs.
Since 2014, the museum has shown a 30-foot-long Allosaurus skeleton named "Ebenezer." This skeleton is presented as proof of Noah's Flood. The museum also argues against the idea that dinosaurs are linked to bird evolution. For example, a display shows a Utahraptor without feathers. It says this dinosaur had no connection to birds. This idea comes from the Bible's book of Genesis.
Your Journey Through the Museum
Visitors follow a specific path through the museum's rooms. Each room builds on the ideas from the one before it.
The first room shows two paleontologists finding bones. One thinks the creature died in a local flood millions of years ago. The other believes it died in the biblical Great Flood about 4,300 years ago.
Next, you see displays explaining natural events from two "starting points." One is mainstream science, and the other is the Bible's story. Then, you walk through a hallway with figures of Old Testament prophets like Moses. Audio recordings from the Book of Psalms play nearby. Signs in this area say that putting human reason above God's word causes problems.
The hallway ends with questions like "Am I alone?" and "Why do I suffer?" These are shown with pictures of human conflict.
After the hallway, you enter a room that looks like a city alley. It has graffiti and newspaper clippings. A sign says that ignoring the Bible leads to problems in society. In the last room of this series, videos show what happens when people don't take the Bible literally. A wrecking ball labeled "Millions of Years" hits a church building. This shows how the idea of millions of years can damage faith. A figure of Ken Ham nearby symbolizes AiG's work to fix this.
The next part of the museum focuses on "The Seven C's of History." These are: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross, and consummation.
- Creation: Displays show Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They show Adam naming animals and Eve being created from Adam's rib. Signs say that God created Adam and Eve as a man and a woman to start families.
- Corruption: This exhibit shows Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. This led to the fall of man. You see animals being killed for clothes and Cain killing Abel. Pictures show modern suffering like the Holocaust. The museum suggests that after the fall, some animals became meat-eaters.
- Catastrophe: This refers to the Great Flood from the Bible. You see figures building Noah's Ark. There's an interactive exhibit where an animatronic Noah answers questions about the Ark. Videos show the Great Flood covering the Earth.
- Confusion: This room shows the world after the flood. It suggests that people started to rely only on human thinking. Displays argue that this can lead to problems like racism. A display claims the Tower of Babel explains why people spread out and languages changed quickly.
The last three C's—Christ, cross, and consummation—are in one room. Here, visitors watch a film called The Last Adam. It tells the story of Jesus' crucifixion through the eyes of Mary and a Roman soldier.
After this, a video explains how scientists are creating models. These models show how the Flood might have shaped the world today. Large fossils are displayed, said to be formed by the Great Flood.
The tour continues in the "Dinosaur Den." Here, dinosaur models have signs explaining their lives from the YEC viewpoint. The Dragon Theater is the last exhibit. It suggests that dinosaurs died out recently. It also speculates that medieval dragon stories might be about real encounters with dinosaurs. You exit the museum through the gift shop.
Special Events and Programs
The museum offers many special programs and events. These often focus on creationist ideas or Christian teachings.
In December 2008, the Cincinnati Zoo stopped a special offer with the Creation Museum. They had received many complaints.
The Bill Nye Debate
One very public event was the Bill Nye–Ken Ham debate in February 2014. Ken Ham challenged Bill Nye, a science educator, to debate. They discussed whether creationism is a good way to understand origins.
The debate was held in the museum's 900-seat Legacy Hall. Tickets sold out very quickly. Nearly 3 million people watched the debate online. This event helped AiG raise money for their next big project. This was the Ark Encounter, a theme park based on Noah's Ark.
What People Think About the Museum
The Creation Museum has sparked a lot of discussion. Many scientists and religious leaders have shared their opinions.
Jill Stevenson, a professor who studies museums, noted that the museum makes people curious. She said it uses the style of a natural history museum. But it shares a specific community's beliefs.
Susan and William Trollinger wrote that the museum fits into a big part of American culture. They called it a "sophisticated visual argument" for young Earth creationism. Jonathan Gitlin from Ars Technica said the museum's displays were very good. But he added that it was made for a specific Christian audience.
Hemant Mehta said the museum's layout is beautiful. However, he felt the information was not valuable. He called it an "expensive way to confuse and indoctrinate children."
A. A. Gill, a British writer, said the museum challenges many sciences. He felt it goes against geology, biology, and even most theology. Lisa Park, a paleontology professor, called it "very bad science and even worse theology." She felt it used fear and manipulated the public.
Some Christians who believe in an older Earth or theistic evolution also criticize the museum. Geologist Greg Neyman said the museum's "faulty science" might turn non-Christians away from the church. Theologian John Haught found the museum "theologically problematic."
Edward Rothstein from The New York Times noted how the museum uses dinosaurs and fossils. These were once seen as challenges to biblical belief. But here, they are central to the story. Authors Casey Kelly and Kristen Hoerl said the museum lets young-Earth creationists take their children to "see the dinosaurs" without going against their beliefs.
Is it a Real Museum?
Some people question if the Creation Museum is a true museum. Authors Casey Kelly and Kristen Hoerl point out that many items on display are made for the museum. They are not historical artifacts. Because of this, The Guardian called it "one of the weirdest museums in the world."
Gretchen Jennings, an editor for a museum journal, said creationist museums are not real museums. She believes they should not be officially recognized. As of 2014, no creationist museums have been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Some scientists have called it "the Creationist Disneyland" or "Ken Ham's fabulous fake museum." Ken Ham, however, says the Creation Museum fits the definition of a museum.
Who Works There?
The museum is part of Answers in Genesis. In 2007, about 160 people worked at the museum. Another 140 worked at the AiG headquarters next door.
All permanent employees must sign a statement of faith. This means they agree with AiG's beliefs. For example, they must believe in young-Earth creationism. They also agree that "Scripture teaches a recent origin for man and the whole creation." They must also believe that "the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman."
In 2015, the Creation Museum and AiG were named among the top workplaces in their region. This was based on a survey of their employees.
The Museum in the News
The Creation Museum has been featured in many media reports.
A BBC documentary called The Story of God showed the museum being built in 2005. The host, Robert Winston, said it was "alarming" to see so much effort spent on what he felt was a "mockery of hard won scientific knowledge."
In 2007, comedian Bill Maher visited the museum for his documentary Religulous. He interviewed Ken Ham without Ham knowing who he was. Maher said he used similar tactics for other interviews in the film.
In July 2007, a parody website for a "Unicorn Museum" was launched. It made fun of the Creation Museum. It aimed to show what it called the "charade" of the Creation Museum.
A TV show called 17 Kids and Counting (now 19 Kids and Counting) featured the Duggar family's trip to the museum. Ken Ham gave them a personal tour. The family patriarch, Jim Bob Duggar, said they wanted to teach their children about creation. They also wanted to show them "the fallacies of evolution."
In 2010, Vanity Fair magazine published a negative review of the museum. It was written by British critic A. A. Gill.
In 2020, the Creation Museum was ranked second in the Best Religious Museum category by USA Today. Its sister attraction, the Ark Encounter, took the top spot.
See also
- Ark Encounter, a related theme park in Northern Kentucky
- Creation Evidence Museum
- ICR Discovery Center for Science & Earth History
- List of creation myths
- Religious cosmology
