Over 400,000 have visited Ark Encounter within the first 3 months of operation
Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, has revealed that the theme park that features a life-size Noah's Ark in Kentucky has drawn over 400,000 visitors since the attraction opened in July.
Ham stated that the Ark Encounter is on track to hit the target of 1.4 million visitors in its first year.
The creation evangelist noted that a report commissioned by the state of Kentucky has predicted that the park will attract only 325,000 visitors a year. He wrote in a blog post last Tuesday that the number has been reached within two and a half months.
Mark Looy, chief communications officer for the Ark Encounter, said that not all of the Ark's visitors are evangelical Christians.
"We believe, though we haven't done any intensive surveys yet, it's possible that perhaps 40 percent of our Ark visitors are not 'born-again' as taught by the Bible," Looy told World Net Daily.
"That seems to match up with our feasibility study that we conducted a few years ago, that the Ark has such a broad interest among the culture that some non-Christians and even some skeptics will come out to see this immense ship," he added.
Looy said that about 75 atheists were present on the first day to protest the opening of the theme park. One of their objections was the false premise that the Ar was built with taxpayers' money. He maintained that the attraction was built with funds from donors.
He also said that the Ark Encounter is designed with the intention of sharing the Gospel to its visitors.
"We don't hide the fact that we are a ministry that shares biblical truths starting with Genesis but working through the New Testament. And so the Gospel is presented, especially on the second deck of the Ark," he stated.
Looy encouraged skeptics and those who profess other religions to visit the Ark. He said that he himself was a former evolutionist until he was able to hear the argument from both sides.
The Ark Encounter recently hosted the screening of Ray Comfort's "The Atheist Delusion" as part of its effort to reach out to unbelievers. The film aimed to challenge atheism and present a rational basis for Christianity.
