Since the July 7 opening, thousands of guests have traveled from across the country and all over the world to see the Ark Encounter. Before the life-size Ark opened, we saw interest grow on social media as people let us know they were beginning to plan their visit and told us how far they would be traveling to get here. Those people (and many more) are now making their trips, and here is a snapshot of where they are coming from.
As you drive through the parking lot, you will see vehicles from all over the country. Recently, our social media team journeyed down just two parking lot aisles and found license plates from 19 different states. Guests came from both coasts, California and North Carolina, and as far south as Texas and Florida. One license plate was spotted on a car that came all the way from Ontario, Canada.
In addition to guests from across the country, some have even come from around the world. Ken Ham, president and CEO of Answers in Genesis, frequently visits the Ark Encounter to meet and interact with our guests. Ken has met visitors from countries across the globe, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Liberia, Kenya, and the United Kingdom. Of course, this list is not all-inclusive, but it provides a glimpse of how far our visitors are traveling to experience the Ark Encounter.
As visitors turn onto KY-36 from Interstate 75, they pass the Marathon gas station across the street. The gas station put up a map of the United States prior to the Ark’s opening, and they invite guests to stop in and pin it with their hometown. The map shows the places where guests have come from to visit the Ark Encounter. There are pins from as close as the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area and as far away as Alaska.
One of the Marathon employees shared that she recently had the opportunity to interact with a family from South Africa. The station has also seen visitors from Iceland, Ireland, and Mexico.
Start planning your trip to the Ark Encounter now and share with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter how far you will be traveling to see the largest timber-frame structure in the world.