Creation Museum

The Creation Museum, a rather curious edifice situated in Petersburg, Kentucky , purports to present a narrative of the origin of the universe and the genesis of life on Earth, all filtered through the uncompromising lens of young Earth creationism . This is not merely a collection of dusty artifacts; it’s a meticulously crafted argument, a physical manifestation of a belief system that insists on a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative found within the Bible . It’s operated by Answers in Genesis (AiG), an organization that positions itself as a purveyor of creation apologetics .

The structure itself is substantial, a sprawling 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m²) testament to private funding, amassed through donations to the tune of $27 million. Its doors swung open on May 28, 2007, inviting visitors into a world where scientific consensus is politely, and sometimes not so politely, shown the door. Beyond the main exhibits, the museum boasts a special effects theater, a planetarium , an impressive Allosaurus skeleton, and a rather extensive insect collection. It also serves as the operational hub for AiG, housing approximately 300 employees. It’s worth noting that any permanent staff member is required to sign a statement of faith, a non-negotiable affirmation of their adherence to AiG’s core principles.

From this vantage point, the museum presents a vision of the world that is decidedly at odds with mainstream scientific understanding. Humans and dinosaurs, for instance, are depicted as contemporaries, sharing the planet in a time frame that Answers in Genesis pegs at roughly 6,000 years old, a timeline derived from what they refer to as the Ussher chronology . The theory of evolution , that cornerstone of modern biology, is, naturally, given short shrift. This approach has not gone unnoticed. Scientists, educators, and even some theologians have voiced considerable criticism, decrying the museum’s alleged misrepresentation of scientific facts and expressing grave concerns about its potential to undermine science education. Even within Christian circles, there’s a palpable unease that this outright rejection of scientific consensus could tarnish the credibility of Christianity itself. Despite these critiques, the tenets of young-Earth creationism hold sway with a significant portion of the American populace, a fact that undoubtedly contributes to the museum’s enduring popularity.

It’s a place that sparks debate, a focal point for cultural observers and the museum community alike. Scholars specializing in museum studies , such as Gretchen Jennings, have been vocal, suggesting that these creationist exhibitions lack any genuine connection to contemporary scientific thought or, indeed, to the broader tapestry of human knowledge and experience. In their view, such establishments don’t qualify as true museums.

Background

At its core, the Creation Museum is a physical manifestation of a particular interpretation of the Book of Genesis , a literalist rendition that leans heavily on what is termed creation science . This is, in essence, a pseudoscientific interpretation of young Earth creationism (YEC). The entire operation is under the umbrella of Answers in Genesis (AiG), an organization dedicated to the apologetics of creationism. The stated mission of the museum, as articulated on AiG’s website, is to “exalt Jesus Christ as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,” to “equip Christians to better evangelize the lost,” and, quite pointedly, “to challenge visitors to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.” Ken Ham, the founder of AiG, has offered a slightly broader perspective, asserting that their aim isn’t merely to convert people to creationism or to disavow evolution, but rather to affirm their Christian identity.

The central tenet of YEC, that the biblical God brought the universe and all within it into existence over six literal 24-hour days approximately 6,000 years ago, stands in stark opposition to the prevailing scientific consensus which posits an Earth approximately 4.5 billion years old, and life evolving through descent from common ancestors. A columnist for the Sunday Independent , observing the museum’s debut in 2007, noted the significant support Ham enjoyed, evidenced by the museum’s complete reliance on private funding for its $27 million cost, and by Gallup polls indicating widespread belief in biblical accounts of human origins among Americans. More recent data from a Pew Research Center poll in 2016 corroborated this, finding that a substantial 35% of Americans agreed that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”

The museum’s displays are strategically designed to reinforce AiG’s worldview. One prominent graphic, known as the “7 C’s in God’s Eternal Plan,” outlines their theological framework: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation. Another exhibit features a wrecking ball, ominously labeled “millions of years,” poised to demolish the foundation of a church. This imagery is meant to symbolize the perceived abandonment of scripture in modern society, with a mannequin of Ken Ham nearby, pushing a wheelbarrow of bricks, representing AiG’s mission to rebuild faith.

History

The genesis of the Creation Museum can be traced back to the founding of Answers in Genesis in Florence, Kentucky , in 1994. From its inception, the organization harbored ambitions of establishing a museum and a center for training in the region. Ken Ham, an Australian native, expressed his reasoning for choosing America as the location for such a venture, stating that Australia was not the ideal place to reach a global audience. In a conversation with Paul Sheehan of The Sydney Morning Herald , Ham elaborated on the strategic advantage of their move to Florence, highlighting their proximity to “69 percent of America’s population” within a one-hour flight radius. The museum itself is situated in Petersburg, Kentucky, a mere 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport , a location chosen for its accessibility.

The journey from concept to construction was not without its hurdles. In 1996, AiG approached Boone County seeking to rezone a parcel of land adjacent to the fossil-rich Big Bone Lick State Park from agricultural to industrial use, intending to build the museum. The county initially balked, citing potential conflicts with the state park. However, in 1999, a shift in the local political landscape occurred with the election of new commissioners , who subsequently approved the rezoning of an alternative 47-acre (19 ha) site south of Interstate 275 for public facilities, paving the way for construction.

By May 2000, AiG had acquired the land, though the price remained undisclosed. The initial construction timeline targeted March 2001. At this juncture, the museum was envisioned as a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) facility, with an estimated cost of $14 million and an anticipated opening in mid-2002. However, market research indicated a significantly higher potential visitor turnout than initially projected. This prompted a revision of the plans, scaling the museum up to 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²), escalating the projected cost to approximately $25 million, and eventually to $27 million as the footprint expanded by another 10,000 square feet (930 m²). AiG staff began occupying the museum’s office spaces in late 2004. The entire funding for the project was secured through private donations, with considerable contributions of architectural and construction services also being donated.

Opening

The Creation Museum officially opened its doors on May 28, 2007, coinciding with Memorial Day . The inaugural day saw an estimated 4,000 patrons and a contingent of 200 protesters, with the event garnering attention from international media outlets. The Orlando Sentinel observed that much of the media coverage adopted a distinctly “mocking” tone, reminiscent of the reporting surrounding the 2001 opening of Orlando ’s Holy Land Experience theme park.

Just across the street, a “Rally for Reason” was organized by Edwin Kagin , the Kentucky state director for American Atheists . This gathering, comprising scientists, educators, students, and atheists, aimed to convey a message of dissent against what they termed the “so-called science of creationism.” The Reverend Mendle Adams, participating in the protest, articulated a concern shared by some within the faith: that embracing creationist views could lead to Christianity being perceived as a “laughing stock.”

The Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau saw the museum’s opening as a strategic opportunity to bolster their efforts in attracting religious group conventions, a demographic known for its significant economic contribution to the region.

In October 2007, the Kentucky Department of Transportation installed four signs along nearby highways directing motorists to the museum. These signs, bearing Kentucky’s “Unbridled Spirit” logo, drew criticism from some residents who raised concerns about the separation of church and state . The Cincinnati Post reported that AiG had paid $5,000 for each sign, which were generally available to any “cultural, historical, recreational, agricultural, educational or entertainment center.” Barry W. Lynn , executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State , deemed the situation a “close call” regarding potential violations of church-state separation.

Expansion

The museum’s growth trajectory continued. In April 2016, the Boone County Fiscal Court gave the green light to a development plan that included a substantial three-level, 210,000-square-foot (20,000 m²) addition, alongside other expansions estimated to cost between $15 million and $20 million. By November 2019, a $3 million expansion was completed, incorporating a 4D theater and an enlarged exhibit space. Further enhancements were announced in October 2021, detailing plans to refurbish the Legacy Hall auditorium and establish the Eden Teaching Center, which would augment the museum’s animal facilities, including a new conservatory, greenhouses, classrooms, and an interactive dig site.

Attendance

Answers in Genesis had initially projected 250,000 visitors for the museum’s first year. This figure was surpassed in just over five months, with a total of 404,000 visitors recorded in that inaugural year. However, by 2012, Cincinnati CityBeat reported a decline in attendance, with 254,074 visitors between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012. This represented a 10 percent drop from the previous year and marked the fourth consecutive year of declining numbers. AiG officials attributed this downturn to the prevailing poor economy and elevated gas prices. By mid-2015, the museum had welcomed a cumulative total of 2.4 million visitors, averaging approximately 300,000 annually over its eight years of operation.

In 2016, Slate.com noted that public schools were increasingly organizing field trips to the museum, with planned or completed excursions from schools in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This practice drew the attention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which sent letters to the implicated schools urging them to cancel such trips or refrain from repeating them. In response to the FFRF’s actions, Ken Ham announced in July 2016 that student groups would be admitted for a nominal fee of $1 per child, with accompanying teachers admitted free of charge.

A significant surge in attendance was reported in 2017, following the opening of AiG’s other major attraction, the Ark Encounter . AiG claimed that the Creation Museum saw over 800,000 visitors in the year subsequent to the Ark Encounter’s debut, nearly tripling its previous annual average. By April 2021, the combined visitor count for both the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter had surpassed 10 million.

Collection

The Creation Museum proper spans 75,000 square feet (7,000 m²). Within its planetarium , visitors are presented with a cosmology developed by AiG’s astrophysicist, offering creationist perspectives as alternatives to the Big Bang theory . This planetarium underwent a $1.2 million renovation in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , which included expanding capacity, upgrading display equipment, and enhancing acoustics. The museum’s 200-seat theater, equipped with special effects like vibrating seats and mist-spraying jets, screens a film featuring two angelic beings who proclaim, “God loves science!” The facility also includes a restaurant and a medieval-themed gift shop. Outside, visitors can explore walking trails and a 5-acre (0.020 km²) lake.

The design of the museum’s exhibits was overseen by Patrick Marsh, who had previously worked on attractions at Universal Studios Florida , including the Jaws and King Kong attractions. Kurt Wise served as a scientific consultant and played a pivotal role in shaping the exhibits, including the production of 52 professionally made videos. In 2009, AiG introduced an exhibit on natural selection , featuring models of finches, the very birds that Charles Darwin observed, inspiring his theory of evolution published in 1859. A 2013 expansion added a lobby display suggesting that ancient legends of monsters and dragons might actually be accounts of humans encountering dinosaurs. An animatronic character, “Dr. Crawley,” a science professor in a lab coat, attempts to persuade visitors that the diversity and complexity of insect species could not have arisen through natural evolution, but must be the work of a divine creator.

The museum prominently features dinosaurs, with the Allosaurus skeleton, dubbed “Ebenezer,” serving as a symbol of AiG’s mission to “take the dinosaurs back [from the evolutionists].” Ham has been quoted as saying, “Evolutionists get very upset when we use dinosaurs.” While some dinosaur models are animatronic, many are sculpted from fiberglass by a taxidermist . A diorama near the lobby depicts children playing peacefully alongside dinosaurs, a scene intended to challenge the notion that these creatures were inherently dangerous or extinct long before humans appeared.

Since 2014, the museum has housed the skeleton of “Ebenezer,” a 30-foot-long (9.1 m) Allosaurus fragilis. Over half of this skeleton, including a remarkably complete skull with 53 teeth, was unearthed from the Morrison Formation in northern Colorado . The skeleton was purchased by the Elizabeth Streb Peroutka Foundation of Pasadena, Maryland , and subsequently donated to the museum. AiG commissioned an anonymous expert in Utah to restore the specimen before its public display. The skeleton is presented within the museum’s narrative as evidence supporting the biblical account of Noah’s Flood. In 2021, a man was indicted for making a bomb threat related to the Allosaurus display, though no device was found.

The museum also takes aim at the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. In the second room, a model of a prehistoric Utahraptor is displayed with a claim that it was featherless and unrelated to birds, aligning with the Genesis account that birds were created before land animals.

Visitor Experience

Visitors navigate the museum through a series of interconnected rooms, each designed to build upon the narrative presented in the preceding one. Authors Casey Kelly and Kristen Hoerl describe this as a construction of an “argument chain” where claims from earlier sections lend support to subsequent ones. The initial room features a diorama of two paleontologists discovering skeletal remains. Nearby, video screens display actors portraying these paleontologists; one posits the creature died millions of years ago in a local flood, while the other suggests it perished in the biblical Great Flood approximately 4,300 years prior. This is followed by a room of placards that explicate various natural phenomena through two contrasting “starting points”: mainstream science and the biblical narrative.

Moving onward, visitors enter an L-shaped corridor. This space begins with mannequins representing Old Testament prophets – Moses , David , and Isaiah – accompanied by audio recordings of passages from the Book of Psalms . Further along, placards present historical arguments against a literal biblical interpretation, culminating in the assertion that “The elevation of human reason above God’s word is the essence of every attack on God’s word.” The walls near the corridor’s exit are adorned with existentialist questions like “Am I alone?” and “Why do I suffer?”, juxtaposed with illustrations of human conflict and suffering.

Emerging from the corridor, visitors find themselves in a room designed to evoke a decaying urban environment, complete with graffiti and scattered newspapers detailing issues such as the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia . A nearby placard declares: “Scripture abandoned in the culture leads to… relative morality, hopelessness and meaninglessness.” The final room in this sequence uses video screens to illustrate the purported consequences of abandoning a literal biblical interpretation. One scene depicts a teenage girl on the phone with an abortion clinic. Another shows a teenage boy preparing to smoke cannabis while engrossed in a computer screen displaying pornography. Dominating the center of this room is a wrecking ball, emblazoned with “Millions of Years,” smashing the foundation of a church. Adjacent to this scene, a Ken Ham mannequin is shown pushing a wheelbarrow filled with bricks, a visual metaphor for the corrective work undertaken by AiG.

The second major section of the museum delves into a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis, structured around “The Seven C’s in God’s Eternal Plan”: creation , corruption , catastrophe , confusion , Christ , cross , and consummation . At the entrance to this area, a flat-screen television displays a computer-generated animation of particles coalescing to form the biblical Adam . Subsequent dioramas depict Adam naming animals in the Garden of Eden and Eve being formed from Adam’s rib. Accompanying text asserts that the special creation of Adam and Eve signifies God’s intention for families to exclusively comprise opposite-sex couples and their children.

The exhibit on corruption illustrates Adam and Eve’s act of eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil , leading to the fall of man . Further displays chronicle the ensuing events: animals being sacrificed to create garments for Adam and Eve, Cain killing Abel , and Methuselah issuing warnings of impending divine judgment. Black-and-white photographs also present examples of modern suffering, such as the Holocaust and the detonation of an atomic bomb. Placards accompanying these images contend that following the Fall, some animals became predatory, and resource competition led to extinctions. A report from April 2006 in the Chicago Tribune noted that this area also features unpleasant odors and elevated temperatures, with AiG general manager Mike Zovath explaining the intent was to create “the most uncomfortable place in the museum to show how original sin has corrupted the universe.”

The “catastrophe,” a reference to the Great Flood described in Genesis, is represented by animatronic figures engaged in the construction of Noah’s Ark . An interactive exhibit allows visitors to pose frequently asked questions about the Ark to an animatronic Noah, who audibly responds. Kelly and Hoerl describe this interactive Noah as “remarkable,” noting its sophisticated animation and lifelike features. The catastrophe displays are further amplified by CGI animations depicting the Great Flood engulfing the Earth, viewed from both outer space and a simulated period settlement.

The post-flood world is portrayed in the subsequent room as an era where humanity began to rely exclusively on human reasoning, leading to “confusion.” Exhibits argue that this reliance on human intellect fosters racism and genocide . One display quotes Stephen Jay Gould , suggesting that racism escalated significantly following the widespread acceptance of evolutionary theory. A diorama posits that the Tower of Babel narrative explains the dispersal of peoples after the flood and the rapid diversification of languages during that period.

The final three “C’s”—Christ, cross, and consummation—are presented in a single room. Here, visitors await entry into a theater to watch “The Last Adam,” a film featuring actors portraying Mary, the mother of Jesus , and an unnamed Roman soldier recounting their experiences during the crucifixion of Jesus . Following the “Seven C’s” section, a video introduces the next part of the museum with the statement: “Scientists are developing a series of models to explain how the Flood and its aftermath could have shaped the world today.” Large fossils displayed in glass cases are presented as evidence of their formation during the Great Flood. Accompanying placards illustrate geological models developed by creationist scientists associated with AiG, the Discovery Institute , and the Institute for Creation Research .

The tour concludes in the “Dinosaur Den,” which features models of dinosaurs accompanied by signage explaining their existence from a YEC perspective. The Dragon Theater, the final exhibit space, proposes the relatively recent extinction of dinosaurs and speculates that Medieval dragon legends might have originated from actual encounters with these creatures. Visitors exit the tour through the museum’s gift shop, offering a range of souvenirs alongside AiG’s print and multimedia publications.

Programs and Events

Beyond its permanent exhibits, the Creation Museum hosts a variety of special programs and events, many of which focus on creationist themes or broader Christian teachings. Some of these events have generated controversy. In December 2008, the Cincinnati Zoo rescinded a planned cross-promotion with the Creation Museum after less than three days, citing “numerous complaints.”

In February 2011, the museum denied entry to a same-sex couple for its after-hours “Date Night.” The museum refused to refund their tickets, stating that the event was clearly advertised as being about Christian marriage, defined as between a man and a woman. They also cited a blog post by one of the men a month prior, which suggested the couple intended to be disruptive. The blog had solicited donations to send a “flamboyantly gay” couple to the event. One of the men later admitted he was not gay and expressed curiosity about whether the museum would allow them entry.

Bill Nye Debate

• Main article: Bill Nye–Ken Ham debate

One of the most widely publicized events held at the museum was the Bill Nye –Ken Ham debate in February 2014. The debate featured Ken Ham and science educator Bill Nye, known for his television series Bill Nye the Science Guy . Ham had challenged Nye to visit the museum to debate young-Earth creationism and the validity of creationism as a model for origins. CNN ’s Tom Foreman moderated the event. The museum’s 900-seat Legacy Hall sold out within minutes of ticket sales opening. It is estimated that nearly 3 million people viewed the debate online, and C-SPAN rebroadcast it on February 19. The significant media attention generated by the debate provided a substantial boost to AiG’s fundraising efforts, directly contributing to the commencement of construction on the Ark Encounter , an AiG theme park centered around a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark.

Reactions

Reviews

The Creation Museum has been a magnet for controversy, drawing considerable criticism from scientific, religious, and cultural commentators. Jill Stevenson, an associate professor of theatre arts at Marymount Manhattan College , noted in her 2013 book, Sensational Devotion: Evangelical Performance in Twenty-First Century America, that the museum elicits more questions than other venues she studies. She posits that it’s not just the anti-evolution message that captivates people, but “how the Creation Museum actually conveys that message.” By blending the traditional format of a natural history museum with a “radical community-based agenda,” Stevenson argues, the museum empowers and gives a public voice to a community that feels threatened, disenfranchised, and misrepresented by mainstream culture.

In their 2016 book, Righting America at the Creation Museum, Susan and William Trollinger observed that the museum occupies a significant position within the “right side of the American cultural, political, and religious mainstream,” representing and resonating with the beliefs of a large segment of the American population. Jonathan Gitlin, reviewing the museum for Ars Technica in 2007, remarked that the displays were “on a par with the better modern museums I’ve been to.” However, he also characterized it as “designed for a fundamentalist Christian crowd” and “no friend to those who do not hold to its creationist tenets,” further noting the inclusion of exhibits that he described as a “house of horrors” concerning abortion, drugs, and “the devil’s music.” The Trollingers themselves concluded that the museum is “an impressive and sophisticated visual argument on behalf of young Earth creationism and a highly politicized fundamentalism.” Hemant Mehta offered a contrasting view, stating that while the museum’s layout is “beautiful,” its “quality of information is worthless,” rendering it merely “an expensive way to confuse and indoctrinate children.”

A. A. Gill , a British writer and critic, characterized the museum as “battling science and reason since 2007,” asserting that it challenges not only evolution but also geology, anthropology, paleontology, history, chemistry, astronomy, zoology, biology, and even good taste, contradicting most “-onomies” and all “-ologies,” including much of theology. Lisa Park, a professor of paleontology at University of Akron , expressed strong disapproval, calling it “very bad science and even worse theology.” She found the emphasis on fear particularly troubling and not aligned with Christian principles, describing the museum’s approach as a “malicious manipulation of the public.”

The museum’s promotion of YEC has also drawn criticism from adherents of old Earth creationism and theistic evolution. In a press kit released around the museum’s opening, geologist Greg Neyman, founder of Old Earth Ministries, voiced concern that the museum’s faulty science could alienate non-Christians and “turn[ ] away from the church.” Catholic theologian John Haught , a proponent of theistic evolution, deemed the museum “theologically problematic, as well as scientifically problematic,” predicting it would lead to an “impoverishment” of religion. Michael Patrick Leahy, editor of the online magazine Christian Faith and Reason, argued that the museum “undermines the credibility of all Christians.”

In his review for The New York Times , columnist Edward Rothstein highlighted the museum’s “daring” in placing dinosaurs and fossils—elements once seen as challenges to biblical creation—at the forefront. He noted that these are presented not as tests of faith, but as creatures akin to contemporary giraffes and cats. Authors Casey Kelly and Kristen Hoerl observed that by adopting the formal structure of a natural history museum, including the display of dinosaur fossils, the Creation Museum provides a venue where young-Earth creationists can bring their children to “see the dinosaurs” without compromising their beliefs.

Criticism

Prior to the museum’s opening, approximately 2,000 educators signed a statement drafted by the Campaign to Defend the Constitution (DefCon), labeling the museum as part of a “campaign by the religious right to inject creationist teachings into science education .” The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) collected over 800 signatures from scientists in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, endorsing a statement that characterized the museum’s exhibits as “scientifically inaccurate materials.” They expressed concerns that students accepting these premises as scientifically valid would likely struggle in higher education science courses. Lawrence Krauss , who signed the DefCon statement, along with Eugenie Scott , executive director of NCSE, and Alan Leshner , CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science , all acknowledged AiG’s right to open the museum but voiced apprehension about its impact on science education. Leshner emphasized, “We’re not talking about free speech. We would not protest the museum. However, we are concerned that we not mislead young people inadvertently or intentionally about what science is showing.” Krauss has publicly urged media, educators, and government officials to disregard the museum, asserting its views are founded on falsehoods.

Dinosaurs were a central feature of AiG’s 2012 billboard advertising campaign, which targeted metropolitan areas across 25 states. Steven Newton of the National Center for Science Education commented on this campaign, expressing regret that science museums were not engaging in similar high-profile advertising efforts with comparable budgets. After examining a display suggesting the Grand Canyon could have been carved in mere hours by receding floodwaters, akin to canyons formed by volcanic mudslides after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens , chemist William Watkin declared, “Everything they said about sediment deposition, about Mount St. Helens… anyone in first year geology would say ‘wrong from top to bottom’.”

In August 2007, Daniel Phelps, president of the Kentucky Paleontological Society, criticized the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau for describing the museum on its website as a “‘walk through history’ museum that will counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn countless minds against Christ and Scripture.” While the bureau initially defended its language, stating it used descriptions provided by each attraction, Phelps argued that as a tax-supported entity, it should avoid language that disparages other museums. Within a week, the bureau revised the museum’s description to read, “A walk through history via the pages of the Bible—exploring how scripture provides an eyewitness account of the beginning of all things.” Regarding the museum’s efforts to attract public school classes, Zack Kopplin wrote, “At Ham’s Vision conferences, he’s free to teach children that T. Rex was a vegetarian that lived with Adam and Eve. No matter how ludicrous it is, that’s a legitimate exercise of religious freedom. These creationist field trips, however, are not. No matter how steep the discount, public schools can’t afford to miseducate our kids with religious pseudoscience like creationism.”

Status as a Museum

Authors Casey Kelly and Kristen Hoerl, writing in the journal Argumentation and Advocacy , point out that “physical remnants are not available as evidence for events described in the Book of Genesis… Consequently, the Creation Museum demonstrates the materiality of creationist thinking through its display of objects that are, by and large, created for the museum or manufactured recently.” This reliance on manufactured artifacts led The Guardian to dub it “quite possibly… one of the weirdest museums in the world.” Lawrence Krauss rated the museum a “4 for technology” on a scale of 1 to 5, but gave it a “5 for propaganda” and a “negative 5” for content.

Gretchen Jennings, editor of Exhibitionist, has argued that creationist institutions like the Creation Museum are not museums in the true sense, and suggested that any application for accreditation should be denied. As of 2014, no creationist museums have received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Eugenie Scott of the NCSE characterized the Creation Museum as “the Creationist Disneyland.” Daniel Phelps of the NCSE referred to it as “the Anti-Museum,” while PZ Myers called it “Ken Ham’s fabulous fake museum” on his Pharyngula blog. Other scientists derisively nicknamed it the “Fred and Wilma Flintstone Museum.” In a 2013 blog post, Ken Ham countered these criticisms, asserting that the Creation Museum qualifies as a true museum based on definitions provided by Merriam-Webster dictionary and the AAM’s website.

Workforce

The Creation Museum operates as a division of Answers in Genesis . In 2007, approximately 160 individuals, including a chaplain , were employed at the museum, with an additional 140 staff members working at the adjacent AiG headquarters. Permanent employees of AiG, including those at the museum, are required to sign a statement of faith affirming their belief in young-Earth creationism and other AiG doctrines, “in order to preserve the function and integrity of the ministry.” This statement includes beliefs such as “Scripture teaches a recent origin for man and the whole creation,” “the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman,” “the great Flood of Genesis was an actual historic event,” and “no apparent, perceived or claimed evidence in any field, including history and chronology, can be valid if it contradicts the Scriptural record.” The application process for employment requires a written statement of beliefs, along with a résumé and references. In 2007, The Kentucky Post reported that the museum employed between 10 and 20 security guards, equipped with [.40 caliber](/ .40_S%26W) Glock handguns and supported by three certified law enforcement canines .

In 2015, the Creation Museum and AiG were recognized on The Cincinnati Enquirer ’s list of the top 100 workplaces in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. This recognition was based on a confidential employee survey conducted by Workplace Dynamics, an independent research firm.

In the Media

A three-part documentary titled The Story of God , hosted by Robert Winston , aired on BBC One in December 2005. The final installment featured footage of the museum during its construction phase, along with brief interviews with Ken Ham and Patrick Marsh. Following these interviews, Winston expressed alarm at the dedication of “so much time, money and effort on making a mockery of hard won scientific knowledge,” adding that its sincerity made it “all the worse.” The documentary also included excerpts from a debate between Winston and Ham concerning creationism and evolution, which had been broadcast on radio station 700 WLW in Cincinnati.

Bill Maher visited the Creation Museum as part of his 2008 documentary Religulous. In an August 2008 interview with Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein , Maher revealed that similar tactics were employed to secure interviews for the film, noting, “It was simple: We never, ever, used my name… We even had a fake title for the film. We called it ‘A Spiritual Journey’.” Maher further commented on the urgency of decisions being made by non-religious individuals, stating, “The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people. By irrationalists, by those who would steer the ship of state not by a compass, but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken.”

In July 2007, the radio program This Week in Science , produced by the University of California, Davis , launched a website promoting a fictional “Unicorn Museum,” a clear parody of the Creation Museum. The Unicorn Museum’s website stated its aim: “… many Christian adherents still maintain that the Bible is a wholly accurate historical account. By focusing on the more implausible aspects of this reputed infallible document, the Unicorn Museum seeks to illustrate the $27 Million charade that is the Creation Museum and highlight the intellectual laxity that characterizes Creationism and Intelligent Design.”

A 2008 episode of the TLC reality series 17 Kids and Counting (later renamed 19 Kids and Counting) documented the Duggar family’s visit to the museum, including a personal tour led by Ken Ham. Jim Bob Duggar, the family patriarch, expressed his desire to “teach our children about creation and to show them all these great exhibits of how the world was created, and also to reinforce to them the fallacies of evolution and how it was impossible for this world just to all happen by chance.” The Washington Times reported that the episode generated significant debate on Internet message boards from both sides of the cultural divide.

On the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species , Vanity Fair magazine published British critic A. A. Gill ’s scathing review of the museum in February 2010, under the title “Roll Over, Charles Darwin!”, accompanied by photographs by actor Paul Bettany (who had portrayed Darwin in the film Creation). Jill Stevenson noted that ongoing coverage in Vanity Fair and other publications, even years after the museum’s opening, “tes[tified] to people’s ongoing curiosity about the venue.”

The Creation Museum secured the second position in the Best Religious Museum category of the 2020 USA Today/10Best.com Readers Choice Awards, with its sister attraction, the Ark Encounter, taking the top spot.