Noah's Ark is coming to life in Kentucky, where a full-scale replica is under construction.
The replica is planned to be completed by the July 7 opening of the Bible-based theme park Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky,
ABC News reported.
The ark, which has a $100 million price tag, is designed to match the dimensions described in the Bible: 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.
"It's making the Bible come alive, really," creator Ken Ham told ABC. "By building Noah's Ark, we're saying, 'This really happened. This is plausible.'"
The massive biblical museum is located on 800 acres and will offer interpretations of the worldwide flood that Bible historians say happened between four and five millennia ago,
Nooga.com reported.
"Ark Encounter will help answer common questions people ask about Noah’s Ark and the flood from a biblical and scientific perspective," Ark Encounter co-founder Mark Looy told the Chattanooga news website.
The park will include a zoo featuring animals from around the world, a restaurant, and several zip line courses. Upon opening, the ark will have extended hours for 40 days and 40 nights with daytime admission running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and nighttime admission from 5 p.m. to midnight. Normal hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. begin after Aug. 15,
according to the park's website.
The Kentucky ark joins a ship in the Netherlands and a concrete structure in Hong Kong as the only Noah's Ark replicas in the world.
The Kentucky exhibit sparked concerns about separation of church and state after Gov. Matt Bevin approved of $18 million in tax breaks for the project,
Fox 17 Nashville reported. Critics also objected to the park's plan to hire only Christians to work there. They must sign a "Statement of Faith" which disavows same-sex marriage, premarital sex and adultery, the station said.
Tax breaks for the project were approved in 2014 and then canceled before being reinstated after a legal challenge,
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
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