Helpful Tips & FAQ

All service animal are freely admitted to Ark Encounter. “Comfort,” “therapy,” or “emotional support” animals do not meet the definition of a service animals and are not permitted. Pets are not permitted at Ark Encounter. Please do not leave pets or service animals in an unattended vehicle for any amount of time. You may wish to find a local pet resort to house your pet for the day (see list below).

ATMs are available. Ticketing, food venues, and the gift shop accept all major credit cards.

The Ark Encounter is equipped with both air conditioning and heating units to keep the temperature comfortable for our guests.

Are you interested in visiting both the Ark Encounter and our sister attraction, the Creation Museum? A combo ticket gives you a one-day pass to the Ark Encounter and a one-day pass to the Creation Museum.

Ark Encounter’s restaurant and snack stands feature a variety of delicious food offerings, including options for special needs.

The Ark Encounter is located just a brief drive away from dozens of lodging options. Find the best hotels in the tri-state area.

Parking is available for RVs and motor coaches during your visit. Overnight parking is not offered.

Parking is $15 for standard vehicles or $20 for oversized vehicles and paid upon entry. Lifetime Boarding passes include free parking.

Guests are welcome to photograph and record all Ark Encounter exhibits, except for the Museum of the Bible exhibit and theater and video presentations. DVD versions of most of our videos are available for purchase in our online store or the onsite gift shop.

Many people ask how much time to allow for a visit to the Ark Encounter and all that it has to offer. You can easily spend at least a whole day visiting the Ark, its zoo, enjoying a meal, and catching one of our dynamic, world-class speakers at the Answers Center. Allow yourself at least 5–6 hours if you can only do a quick visit.

You are able to leave the Ark Encounter and reenter on the same day. Take the shuttle bus back to the parking lot and your specially colored wristband will allow you to regain entry.

The Ark is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly. You may bring your own, or Guest Services offers both strollers and wheelchairs for the convenience of all visitors on a first-come, first-served basis.

Single strollers are available for a $10 fee, and double strollers are available for a $12 fee. Manual wheelchairs are available for a $12 fee, and a limited number of Electric Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) are available for a $38 fee. Rental fees include sales tax and are non-refundable.

The tram road is for the shuttle buses only. No personal vehicles are permitted on the road, so you will not be able to drop off your family in front of the Ark Encounter.

Our streaming service, Answers.TV, is a wonderful resource with hundreds of captioned options!

If you would like to request an ASL interpreter for live programs, please fill out this request form at least three weeks before your visit. We will work with our network of interpreters and let you know if one if available for the date of your visit!

During our annual Deaf Days event, ASL interpreters and Deaf volunteers are available throughout the museum to answer questions, assist with ticket purchases, interpret the shows and lectures and more!

The Creation Museum exhibits are very visual and as you walk through them, you will find many video screens with open-captioned, short, educational videos. Much of the audio content in the museum is available visually in the exhibits.

The AnswersBookstore lists a variety of DVDs with captioning and subtitles.

For guests who are Deaf or hard of hearing, the Ark Encounter is accessible. Videos and theaters are almost all captioned, and the entire experience is very visual and experiential. Much of the audio content in the Ark is available visually in the exhibits. Virtually all videos playing in the Answers Center are captioned or can be upon request.

The Ark Encounter attraction is fully ADA compliant.

Ramps are located at every entrance and exit door to Ark Encounter. The first entrance features an automatic door.

Virtually every exhibit is wheelchair accessible. A series of gradual ramps take visitors through Ark Encounter’s main exhibits.

We have many accessible parking spaces available in our main parking lot. If you need assistance finding an available space, alert the individual directing traffic.

All restrooms throughout the facility and grounds are accessible. Wheelchair accessible water fountains are also available near the main interior restrooms.

Our rotation of shuttle buses that take you from the parking lot onto the Ark Encounter grounds includes buses that are ADA compliant with doors that are wide enough to allow plenty of space for strollers and wheelchairs.

All of the zoo’s pens are fully viewable via paved trails. The Children’s Zoo pathways are gravel.

The Ark Encounter serves thousands of guests each day. Crowds can be congested in the Ark exhibits. Take a break at any time from the exhibits by exiting via the elevator. (See map.) The expansive grounds and gardens, Ararat Ridge Zoo, the playground, and the carousel can be great ways to relax farther away from other guests. You can also plan to arrive at the Ark in the early afternoon to avoid the morning rush, as well as choose to first visit the grounds and zoo, the Answers Center theater and programs (found on your daily schedule), the playground, or the virtual reality show, as most guests will begin with the Ark exhibits. If you purchase a meal while onsite, try to go before noon or in the early afternoon to avoid lunch crowds as well.

The Ark Encounter exhibits are a visual experience with many signs, videos, and displays. There are no flashing or strobe lights inside the Ark. Upon entrance to the exhibits, there is one space created for experiencing what the flood might have been like while onboard the ark. This is a very loud area, complete with thunder sound effects and animal scratching and screeching noises in cages directly beside the guest walkway. If you have concerns about sensory overload here, it is possible to enter the exhibits via the elevator in the ground level Gift Shop. Once you have entered Deck 1, simply turn left to go back toward the beginning of the exhibits. This will allow you to bypass the loud area completely.

Additionally, an exhibit titled, “Kid’s Spooky Animal Encounters” on Deck 2 is a children’s exhibit designed to experience being on the ark at night with animals on board. There are puffs of air in this exhibit, as well as background animal sounds, mirrors in the walls, and a jump-scare spot where a growling jaguar lights up in the dark.

For guests with sensory sensitivities, complimentary noise-reducing earmuffs and earplugs are available and can be accessed at the admissions building upon arrival, the Answers Center Guest Services desk, and the Guest Services booth in the queue line to the Ark exhibits entrance. Simply provide the Ark team with your name and phone number to utilize these options during your visit. Earmuffs can be returned to the Answers Center Guest Services desk before boarding the bus for your departure.

(Note: Reservation of these options is not necessary.)

The Truth Traveler is a 4K virtual reality theater designed to take guests back in time to the days of the biblical Noah to see the building of the ark, the animals loading, and the flood waters—all from a comfortable seat. This theater is much like a ride, and guests should be aware of this safety advisory before attempting.

We are pleased to offer BRF files for portable braille readers. The content includes signage from each teaching deck inside the Ark Encounter. Click here to download and use these files for your braille reader.

Braille books are available on each of the three decks of the Ark, and include the text from the exhibits signs. Simply ask a Guest Services staff member for assistance upon reaching each deck.

Two tactile experiences are available at the Ark Encounter. Each program is approximately a half-hour in length. These programs include interaction with assorted items from the Ark exhibits or with live animals and biofacts from the Ararat Ridge Zoo. Reserve your spot at least two weeks before your visit to ensure availability!

The Ark Encounter Tactile Experience will be closed January and February 2023, as our team uses this time to enhance the Tactile Experience. The Ararat Ridge Zoo Tactile Experience will remain open during this time.

Contact any staff member in an emergency or non-emergency situation. Basic first aid services are available from the Public Safety Department.

Ark Encounter does have K-9 officers. Please note that these are working dogs and we ask that you not approach them to pet them or talk to them. Their focus cannot be diverted from their job.

If you believe you may have left something at the Ark Encounter, please contact (859) 727-2222 ext. 222. We’ll do our best to track it down for you. If we find it, we’ll contact you for info regarding pickup or shipping.

Parents, please keep your eye on young children. Please pay attention to signage on exhibits. We do have special hands-on exhibits that children can touch all they want. If your child is missing, please notify the nearest Ark Encounter staff member. Our Public Safety Officers are trained in Code Adam.

Basic vehicle assistance is available, from jump-starting to unlocking vehicles. Contact any staff member or Public Safety Officer if you need vehicle assistance.

Our general admission and combo tickets are not date specific and are valid for one year from the date of purchase. No reservations are required to visit because there is plenty of room both inside and outside. Even on our largest attendance day ever, we were still well below one-third of our capacity!

Save with the combo ticket, which is valid for one day at the Creation Museum and one day at the Ark Encounter within a 7-day window. Parking is not included.

Need more time? The 3-Day Bouncer passes are valid for three days of unlimited visits to both the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter within a seven-day period. The three days do not have to be consecutive. Discounted parking is also available with the purchase of the 3-Day Bouncer Pass and offered during the purchasing process online.

Your tickets will be delivered as a pdf attachment to your confirmation email and can be printed or scanned from your smart device.

Kids (5–10) are free in 2022! Only one adult or senior ticket needs to be purchased for all child tickets in your party to be free. Tickets are required for admission, so visit the General Admission or Combo section to reserve free child tickets for those in your party.

At times the online ticketing store will not function well with certain browsers, such as Internet Explorer. If you are experiencing technical difficulties purchasing tickets online, try switching to another browser or wait a few minutes, refresh the page, and try again.