A Visit to the Creation Museum

A few weeks ago, we met my brother and his family in Kentucky for a very special purpose – a visit to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter! This trip had been in the works for awhile, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, our schedule changed unexpectedly. Last-minute, we kicked our preparations into overdrive, ate supper, packed the Trailblazer, and were headed to KY – all within about 4 hours!

We were on our way to a memory-making, faith-building experience!

My brother’s family arrived early the next morning and we enjoyed a delicious breakfast together at our Airbnb home before heading to our first destination: the Creation Museum. I was very surprised by the number of vehicles in the parking lot! I didn’t really know what to expect, so I appreciated a few directions at the visitor’s center, and then we were checked in and on our way!

The grounds are laid out like a park, with gardens and paths winding through different points of interest along the way.

Of course, we’re always interested in unique plants…this one is “Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick” (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’), also called a Corkscrew hazel.

We walked the boardwalk through the “Carnivorous Bog Gardens” (we got a kick out of the name!) and, of course, took a side path to go over the floating bridge which bobbed up and down to the rhythm of our footsteps.

Then we arrived at the museum itself, with a full-size dinosaur model standing out front!

Inside, we went through several introductory exhibits…illustrating the failings of generally-accepted dating models, an exhibit about Biblical heroes and how God repeatedly triumphed over the gods of the nations, the accuracy of Scripture, the significance of Genesis, and more. There was a lot of reading, with music, sound effects, and video mingled throughout to enhance the experience. At times it was quite dramatic!

The sketch on the right, above, was made into a huge wall mural. Because the words are so small in this photo, I will quote them here:

“As I reflected on important controversies in our culture, such as abortion and marriage, and even debate over the meaning of right and wrong, I realized that the proper foundation for addressing all of the issues is found in Genesis, and I have no right to change God’s Word.

-For example, I oppose abortion and euthanasia because God created all people in His image and He said murder is wrong. Every person has immeasurable value, from the unborn child to the frail grandmother in the nursing home.

-Even though many in our culture seek to redefine marriage, God ordained it at the beginning to be a union of one man and one women.”

Then we entered the main part of the museum, where the exhibits were themed to guide us through the “7 C’s” of the story of the world… Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation.

In the Creation exhibit, I enjoyed strolling through the room representing the Garden of Eden. It was lovely, but, of course, we can only imagine how much more beautiful the Garden must have been for real! Here, there was foliage and flowers, ceiling-high trees, animals coming to be named by Adam, large animals peacefully eating plant material, and verses being read over the sound system to narrate what was happening as you walked through the story.

God said it wasn’t good for man to be alone and, around the bend, we find Eve has been created as Adam’s special helpmeet. They seem very happy and all is well! It was so pleasant and happy, I could have just stayed a while. But, of course, I was one of the last in my group to go through, so I had to pick up my pace a bit. 🙂

As I went further along, I saw a serpent in the tree above Adam and Eve, as if it was watching them… and I wanted to stop what I knew was impending!

Next, there was a very dark room with a display of The Fall – when the serpent tempted Eve to eat the fruit, and both she and Adam ate of it. Oh, what a dark, utterly tragic moment!

Going on, I stepped into a hallway-like room, lined on one side with black and white photos, black and white video projected on the other wall. This portrayed some of what came into the world – hate, violence, sorrow, and suffering! – because of that one moment, when man chose to disobey God. There was the sound of crying, gunfire, growling. Death had entered the world because of sin. “…through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…” (Romans 5:12b)

It was very emotional, a vivid picture of how absolutely horrible sin is, and made me want to hurry through!

After a couple more displays, it opened back up to ceiling height, as in the Garden. But instead of lush beauty, there was rocky land, with a scene of Adam, Eve, and their children, now having to toil to live. They could no longer stay in God’s beautiful Garden. Now, in this Corrupted scene, the large animals were no longer just eating plants, but preying on other animals.

This whole transition was very profound. You could feel that something was definitely wrong, something undeniably lost.

In the Corrupted world, evil grew rampant, and soon we found Noah and his family working on the Ark, in preparation of the world-wide Flood. The scene had moving, speaking characters, who were fascinatingly lifelike, warning others of the danger, even in the presence of naysayers!

These tiny scenes were mesmerizing…so much detail!

Then came Catastrophe, the Flood – when only Noah, his family, and the animals in the Ark were saved of all the land dwelling creatures on the earth.

In this room, there was an interactive Noah “onboard the Ark,” who answered a selection questions from a menu. It was amazing to think of Noah as a real man, with humor, warmth, and such faith.

The Catastrophe exhibits continued in to the post-Flood world, with many, many facts to explore about effects the Flood had on the earth – the Ice Age, formation of fossils, the Grand Canyon, and more. There was so much information packed in. I know I didn’t absorb it all by any means!

Here was a huge Allosaurus dinosaur skeleton on display, with original fossils and modeled reproductions of the remainder of the bones.

The original fossilized skull was displayed in a separate case because it was too heavy to mount. The co-existence of humans and dinosaurs, of course, fits perfectly with the Creation account in Genesis. So there was a focus throughout the museum on dinosaurs, which was fun and unusual for me because I don’t usually think much on the creatures. It was fascinating to read so many documented stories of “dragons,” which fit the descriptions of dinosaurs, throughout the past in so many areas of the world!

Then came Confusion. God commanded people to fill the earth, but…once again, man chose to disobey God. At the Tower of Babel, God confused their language, sending them abroad into the earth, and ever since, mankind has experienced the hate, prejudice, and injustice that came along with man’s choice.

Amidst the sorrow, change and loss throughout the story, even though man brought it on himself, yet, still there was a sense of expectation. “The story can’t end like this,” our hearts hope…

And it doesn’t!

In God’s amazing mercy He sent His Son who became the Way for us to be saved and restored to right fellowship with Him! He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior. His name is Jesus.

I loved seeing this wall of some of the specific prophesies foretold and then fulfilled by Jesus’ coming as The Christ. Perfectly, in every detail, He lived out His Father’s will. He worked miracles, with great power over both the natural and supernatural. He gave the Words of eternal life to His followers. He showed what it truly means to have love…all leading up to His ultimate obedience to God’s perfect plan of redemption on the Cross.

Sin is awful, as clearly seen, and “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus’ death on the Cross paid the penalty – death – for our sins. Because He lived a sinless life, God accepted His sacrifice as payment for my sins – and for yours.

Jesus died. But three days later – He rose from the grave! He now lives in heaven, at God’s right hand, and offers salvation and new life to all who will come to Him.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The Consummation is when He victoriously finishes the story! This world will one day pass away, and with it all the evil works that are in it.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
(2 Peter 3:10-14)

And then, the Creation, which succumbed to Corruption at the Fall, will at last be as God intended.

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:19-21)

Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 both speak of the contrast between Adam and Jesus Christ – the “two Adams.” Romans 5:19 puts it like this: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” This last wall, contrasting the two Adams, was incredibly powerful! You can read the words below…

First Adam
The message of the Creation Museum can be summarized by looking at the first Adam and the Last Adam. God created a perfect world – no death, no disease, no suffering – and He gave the first Adam authority over it. When Adam rebelled against his Creator, he brought God’s judgment of death, suffering and the Curse upon this world. Like the first Adam, we have all sinned against God. Consequently, we all deserve the penalty for our sin-death and condemnation.

Last Adam
Jesus Christ is the Last Adam. He came to redeem what the first Adam destroyed. As the first Adam brought death into this world through his sin, the Last Adam came to live a sinless life, die on the Cross to pay for our sins, and conquer death by rising from the grave. One day He will return and put an end to death, disease, suffering, and the Curse. All who have received His forgiveness will dwell eternally with Him in the new heavens and new earth.

Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6b)

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

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The exhibits continued, even after we left the main part of the museum.

I enjoyed the “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” exhibit, which showed the stages of a baby’s development in the womb, with the resounding rhythm of a heartbeat in the room. Each life is so precious, no matter how very tiny!

Outside, my niece loved seeing their zoo! We also enjoyed a stroll through their new “Plants of the Bible Conservatory.”

It was a large greenhouse, with several different climates represented in different sections, featuring many, many plants mentioned in the Bible. Palms, pomegranates, olives, figs…they even had papyrus, which was used to make the paper many ancient documents were written on!

After our tour, a very tired, but happy group, took the trip back to our Airbnb, where we enjoyed relaxing over a delectable build-your-own sub sandwich supper my sweet sister-in-love put together!

Thank you for joining me on a journey through the Creation Museum! I know this is a long post, and there was so much more than I covered here!  It was very encouraging to get a big-picture view of the history of the world we live in… To see, unmistakably, the glorious faithfulness and mercy of God woven throughout all of time. It all points to Jesus, the Savior!

I am so thankful that, in Him, our inheritance is incorruptible! Hallelujah!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

I’d love to hear! Have you been to the Creation Museum? Would you be interested in a post about our visit to the Ark Encounter? What has been encouraging you lately?

Thank you for being here!
Because of Jesus,
Maggie ♥

P.S. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, please feel free to leave me a comment. I’d love to share more about His love and salvation with you!