Jul. 21, 2007 - The Creation Museum - Pictures and Review
The Creation Museum Answers In Genesis Cincinatti, Ohio
Can I just say Wow!??? I have just returned from a trip to and through the new Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky and I remain impressed. Christian families everywhere are going to want to make this experience a vacation priority. Teens approaching college age have a real need for this experience. Exhibit displays within the museum are well designed, incredibly artistic, mentally stimulating and spiritually stimulating. Lifelike wax figures, stunning dinosaur re-creations, high tech and articulate video experiences all combine into one Creation experience. The exterior grounds are beautifully landscaped and teeming with fish and insects of the beautiful variety, allowing for reflection on God's act of creation and also useful for the energy release of museum weary children.
When we visited, the crowds were polite and thoughtful and the staff was professional and helpful. No pushing and shoving here! Architecture and design are stunning. I was so thrilled to find a Museum Gift Shop filled with products designed for edification (books and videos for all ages) and not filled with cheap junk designed to tempt children and line pockets. Thank you so much Creation Museum for this choice! Souvenir choices are limited to a magnet, a button, a bracelet, or a t-shirt. A few higher quality toys are available; and I do mean just a few. I do not remember ever feeding my family of 6 for $20 at a museum restaurant (which we did at the Creation Museum); prices are reasonable though not cheap and the quality is outstanding.
As we exited the museum we were handed a comment card and asked for feedback for improvement purposes. We made a list of thoughtful improvements that could be made and will be sending it to the museum. Do not mistake my glowing comments to imply perfection, but you simply ought to make the trip and you will not be disappointed. Here are a few tips to help make your visit smoother.
Visit early in the week and arrive early in the day. Average weekday crowds are 2000 strong; and weekend crowds reach 4000. We went on a Friday and simply cannot imagine trying to go through that museum with more people. Navigation was very difficult. Small corriders with stopped crowds are not friendly for claustrophobic folk so come mentally prepared to endure.
Use the facilities before you start! Restrooms are not available once you enter the exhibit section until halfway through. Exit and re-entry is not easily possible, as you are basically moving in one long line through 20+ exhibits without any exit points.
Wheelchair users cannot access the larger Dinosaur display.
Discuss No Touching with your younger children before you arrive. Another Mommy of young children warned me about this before we arrived and I am so glad she did! This museum was definitely designed with the ages 8 and up in mind although younger children are welcome. My six year old enjoyed parts of the experience (especially the planetarium) and my younger two (4 and 18 months) enjoyed the dinosaurs, but were hard pressed to endure.
We found the museum contained lots of top level information and would love to see more development of the intellectual contradictions of evolution within the exhibits. For more development of the intellectual arguments against evolution which are introduced in the museum; plan to purchase one or two age appropriate books in the museum store. Or even better, purchase the books before you arrive and read ahead of time to create hooks for what you will see!
Overall, we were very impressed. It is refreshing to see such professional and beautiful work from the Christian community. Congratulations and Well Done!! Answers in Genesis Team!
If you have been to the Creation Museum, and can leave tips in the comments section; please do so. This will help my blog rank high on search engines when Creation Museum is searched, and help more people find this information!
Thanks so much, Amy, for this review! We have bought several resources from the website, Answers in Genesis. And my pastor DH has used lots of info from their website for sermons/classes. I have been anxiously awaiting the museum's opening. I don't know when we will get to go, but your review has made me even more anxious to go!! :)
We live in the area and have purchased a membership. The museum is incredible. It's great to walk through a museum that reinforces your beliefs and to see so many others enjoying it as well. The museum also has a planetarium. It costs about $5 extra with the museum ticket. It is amazing, showing the vastness of the universe. It's worth the extra money.
I appreciate your review of the Creation Museum. I am planning a visit in October~ meeting up with some online homeschooling friends for a "reunion" of sorts. Unfortunately, only a weekend will work for all of us; but I'm hoping that it will be less busy at that time of year.
I'm enjoying browsing your blog. I need to research your coupon ideas a bit more~ we've found a grocery store that will double $1 coupons and have been getting tons of free stuff~ which is awesome! I want to check out your links.
I'm going to add you to my list of friends so I can check back.
Heidi
Thanks for the review Amy! The pictures are amazing!! We had a traveling version of this come through but I thought the boys were to young to go ... next time I will take them though.
I agree with you ... I am so happy to see the Christian Community come up to standards with things!!
Edited by Amy to say: The Answers In Genesis event with Creation Adventure is *not* the same thing as going to the Creation Museum. What you are referring to is just like a concert/speaker with videos. The museum is amazing! So you still have to go!
We have been excited to hear about this since dh went to an AIG conference four years ago. Unfortunately, since we are in CA it's not exactly close by. Praying that we are able to go on a family vacation one of these years. I'm so glad your experience was so positive.
-Jennifer
Our family is planning on going here in July 2008 for a Home School Co-Op Field Trip. Then we are going to stay and make a vacation out of it. Yippee...
What fun!!
When my 8yo son saw your photos he said, "Oh is that where we are going?" He recognized a wax figure from their web-site or something. He can't wait to go. THANKS for the tips, and for wetting our appetite. Ü
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
