Visualizing the Size of the Ark

Our three previous blog posts highlighted two of the Ark models constructed by our talented team of designers. The skeleton model showcases the structure and sheer size of the Ark, while the topographical model depicts in stunning detail the layout of the property and the structures to be built in the first phase of the Ark Encounter.

One of the biggest objections to the Genesis Flood account posed by skeptics has to do with the Ark: how could Noah fit all those animals on board? While they often misunderstand how many animals Noah needed to bring, they likely also fail to realize how huge the Ark was.

The Ark was at least 1.5 football fields in length. That sounds impressive, and it is, but many people still find it hard to grasp its size. Teachers sometimes have their students mark off the size of the Ark in the schoolyard. Seeing the distance from end to end and side to side helped them understand that the necessary animals really could have fit on board.

Visitors to the Ark Encounter property have experienced something similar. We have marked off the future Ark site with poles and flags. In the photos below, the poles along the side, connected by flags, are set about 18 feet apart. The tall posts in the middle of the images rise 12 feet off the ground—the top of these posts mark where the base of the Ark will be.

Future Ark site, looking northeast from beneath the spot of the future stern. Due to the small hill, the other end cannot be seen:

Future Ark site, looking southeast from beneath the spot of the future bow:

Wide shot of the future Ark site as seen from the south (note the brown lines which highlight the approximate positions of bow on the left and stern on the right):

As helpful as these models and images are in visualizing the size of the Ark, they will pale in comparison to seeing the fully constructed Ark in person in the near future. This incredible structure will serve as a reminder of God’s judgment of sin, His grace to Noah and his family, and the truth of His Word.