# Creation Museum: Been There?



## Ravens (Jul 2, 2008)

I've heard good things about it, but has anyone on the board actually *been *there yet? I'm thinking of going there on the 4th, and am interested in any feedback people might have.


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## Ivan (Jul 2, 2008)

Haven't been, but I'd like to have a look at it, when time permits.


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## Herald (Jul 2, 2008)

I drive through this area a few times each week:







This is Chimney Rock in the Catoctin National Park just north of Frederick, MD. It is one of the greatest "creation museums" I have ever seen.


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## Ivan (Jul 2, 2008)

North Jersey Baptist said:


> I drive through this area a few times each week:
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Yeah, but no dinos or gift shops, man! 

I'd still like to see the Creation Museum.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 2, 2008)

Drove past it last Saturday but did not have time to stop.


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## Herald (Jul 2, 2008)

Ivan said:


> North Jersey Baptist said:
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There is this place smack dab in the middle of the Catoctin range:

Camp David


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## Ivan (Jul 2, 2008)

North Jersey Baptist said:


> Ivan said:
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Bill, I zoomed in really close and I think I saw an old Jimmy Carter softball bat!


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## Herald (Jul 2, 2008)

Ivan! Now they have your digital fingerprint as having spied on Camp David! It was a pleasure knowing you. We'll pray for you and see if we can get on your visiting list.


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## Ivan (Jul 2, 2008)

North Jersey Baptist said:


> Ivan! Now they have your digital fingerprint as having spied on Camp David! It was a pleasure knowing you. We'll pray for you and see if we can get on your visiting list.



Which prison do you think I'll be going to? Well, at least there will be a Gideon Bible there for me!


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## Ivan (Jul 2, 2008)

BTW, has anyone one been to the Creation Museum????


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## DMcFadden (Jul 2, 2008)

Yes, it is FANTASTIC!!!

My wife and I saw it with some of our kids and a couple of our grandsons last summer. We even made our vacation plans around visiting the Creation Museum. It was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen.

Here is one reviewer's opinion. I agree!



> Many exhibits at “world-class” museums cost between 20 and 50 million dollars. But the entire Creation Museum right outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, cost just $27 million—and it is definitely world class. On the other hand, however, it’s not world class.
> 
> The Creation Museum goes far beyond mere science. It doesn’t elevate man’s intellect by using science to “prove” ScriptureIn comparison with the Creation Museum, “world-class” museums—even museums like the Roosevelt Museum of Natural History in New York City or the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.—seem paltry and commonplace. Most impressive is the scope of the museum. The individual displays—mounted skeletons, animatronic dinosaurs that turn their bodies in realistic motion, and mounted placards which present science and Scripture—these are amazing, but the big picture is just that: big. Bigger than anyone would have expected.
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Whatever you do, don't miss the _Special Effects Theater Featuring Men in White_ (22 minutes). It is AMAZING all the way down to the sound effects, seismic movement to your seat, and water (yes, real water) spraying in your face when you are at "sea." 

The Stargazer’s Planetarium requires an additional ticket, but it is worth it. Dr. Jason Lisle (a PhD astrophysicist from a secular university) put together an amazing display on what God has done in his creation.

If you have the time, plan on 4-6 hours (or more if you have it). There is soooooo MUCH to see. 

And, for those of us on the PB, the apologetic orientation is decidedly presuppositionalist rather than evidentialist. In fact thanks to the fact that one of my daughters-in-law's cousin worked there, we got a behind the scenes tour as well. A PhD (from Ohio State) in microbiology on staff with AiG took quite a bit of time to dialog with us. She said that the entire upper management devours presuppositional apologetics, she had just finished a Bahnsen book and loved it (except for the theonomy  ). They do not seek to "prove" evolution is wrong with evidence. Rather, they show how the Christian worldview of creationism best conforms to the facts of science we have.

Oh, one more thing (said the one who obviously loves food too much and is known for cheapness). Unlike most tourist dives, AiG was quite fair in their food venues. Their Noah’s Café features hot entrée, soups, sandwiches, and salads, all reasonably priced! Last year they had huge bread "bowls" full of soup for under $5!!!

2007 was their first year and we went during the summer, but it got quite crowded. They were running 4,000 people per day through the place. So, get there as early as you can.


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## Ivan (Jul 2, 2008)

joshua said:


> Ivan, I'm sure that _someone_ at _some point_ has been there before.



So I hear!


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## Leslie (Jul 3, 2008)

Where is this place? I may be in the states later this year and if it's somewhere near where I'll travel anyway, it would be great to see.


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## BobVigneault (Jul 3, 2008)

It's right where Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky come together. It's very close to Cincinnati yet it is actually in Petersburg, Kentucky.



Google Maps


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## SRoper (Jul 3, 2008)

It's near Cincinnati, Mary.

I was thinking about stopping by on my way up to my parents' house this Thanksgiving. Would it take four hours to see it if we have no kids to slow us down?

It's a shame they're open on Sunday. They are all about six-day creationism, but they miss the point.


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## DMcFadden (Jul 3, 2008)

They make few compromises, but this is one concession to American habits.

Without kids it could take longer -- if you read everything. But , yes, you could "see" it all in less time.


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## ChristopherPaul (Jul 3, 2008)

SRoper said:


> It's near Cincinnati, Mary.
> 
> I was thinking about stopping by on my way up to my parents' house this Thanksgiving. Would it take four hours to see it if we have no kids to slow us down?
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> It's a shame they're open on Sunday. They are all about six-day creationism, but they miss the point.



So in a way they communicate to the world that they do not really believe what they promote. Bummer.


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## BobVigneault (Jul 3, 2008)

Yeah but the Seventh Day Baptists, Adventist, World Wide Church of God and the Jews couldn't be happier.


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## ChristopherPaul (Jul 3, 2008)

BobVigneault said:


> Yeah but the Seventh Day Baptists, Adventist, World Wide Church of God and the Jews couldn't be happier.



The museum is closed on Saturdays?


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## CovenantalBaptist (Jul 3, 2008)

I too have been to the CM, but couldn't stay for an extended period as Dr. McFadden - I stopped on my way home one summer without the family to do a very brief preaching stint in Canada before I finished seminary. With this limited timeline, I skipped the theatre stuff in order to see all the exhibits (I spent about a 1/3rd of my time allotted waiting in line for a ticket on a weekday morning - albeit in the summer). It probably isn't as crowded now, but, at the time I heard that they had expected close to a million visitors in the first year and that within a few months they were well overtarget for that many visitors. I also lost an opportunity to meet Ken Ham who was there on the grounds (which they have also sought to develop and utilize as a living museum).

I was not disappointed with my visit - it was fairly well done, although I expected it to be bigger than it was. Nevertheless it was a good size and covered many basic issues. You could tell that AiG take apologetics for real when you are immediately confronted with the first display on finches (what inspired Darwin to write the Origin of Species). I appreciated the straightforward approach. One of the first exhibits is of a Christian archaelogist. A video introduction shows him working alongside a (presumably) non-Christian friend who is also an archaelogist and the point of the display is that the difference in their conclusions is based on the presuppositions they have (the Christian archaeologist believes the biblical account and argues for a young earth with Noahic flood etc. and the evolutionist sees the same evidence and draws a different conclusion). A very powerful lesson here. 

The apologetic was generally presuppositional with fundamentalist tinges and there were several sections that confronted youth particularly. I think it is most certainly worth the visit and I am recommending that my church families go when they are able. 

One nice thing is that you can buy the videos you see. I bought one for my wife (a closet geologist) on the relation of Mt. St. Helen's and the formation of Grand Canyon. 

You can see a flickr stream of the exhibits here (presented by an atheist if I recall, ironically - read the comments on the stream) that covers most of the museum.


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## BobVigneault (Jul 3, 2008)

I'm betting you're a glass is half empty sort of guy aren't you. 



ChristopherPaul said:


> BobVigneault said:
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> > Yeah but the Seventh Day Baptists, Adventist, World Wide Church of God and the Jews couldn't be happier.
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## DMcFadden (Jul 3, 2008)

Chris,

Like most evangelicals, they probably are not even aware that there is an issue with Sunday. Given the conservative nature of Ken Ham, my guess is that he would rather not have had it open on Sunday but (in his mind) balanced that against the value of getting people who might be convinced in to see it.

in my opinion, it is a major mistake to skip the theaters (e.g., the special effects one and the planatarium). But, if time is an issue, you do what you've got to do.


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## ChristianTrader (Jul 3, 2008)

ChristopherPaul said:


> SRoper said:
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Hmmm, I would not have thought of it much different than having a Sunday School lesson on Apologetics.

CT


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## ChristopherPaul (Jul 3, 2008)

BobVigneault said:


> I'm betting you're a glass is half empty sort of guy aren't you.
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I seriously do not get this. I am not sure what optimism and pessimism have to do with anything even if it is meant as tongue-in-cheek. I think there is some sort of disconnect. I did not understand your first comment nor your response.


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## ChristopherPaul (Jul 3, 2008)

ChristianTrader said:


> ChristopherPaul said:
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Except no admission is charged to attend Sunday school. 

I do not want to side track the thread. I am disappointed to hear that it is open on Sundays. To answer the OP, my family is eager to make the trip and see the museum. We will probably go multiple times especially for the sake of the younger kids who will not be old enough to remember if we go now.


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## Contra_Mundum (Jul 3, 2008)

Our family visited there about a month ago. Pretty good. The Ark rooms were my favorites.

For me, it was preaching to the choir, but I think children benefit the most. And it is a powerful witness to people hoping there is "sense" to the Christianity they are constantly being told is fairy tale. If you leave unconvinced, you weren't hoping for persuasion.


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## DMcFadden (Jul 3, 2008)

Bruce,

It would be preaching to the choir if the "choir" believed the Bible. However, with most evangelical schools openly touting progressive creationism (ala Hugh Ross) and a good number of Reformed people accepting the Framework Theory, I think that the choir probably needs the Creation Museum and the ministry of Answers in Genesis.

Frankly, during my undergraduate and graduate school education, I cannot remember a single person defending the traditional view or even allowing that they believed it! I can remember when David Hubbard was president of Fuller and made public statements on some governor's panel on education in CA attacking creationism and defending the hypothesis of billions of years. Discovering AiG was an ephiphany for me.

So, Jeanette and I contributed a little to the building of the Creation Museum, are strong supporters of it, and don't mind hearing good preaching more than once, even if it is "to the choir."


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## ChristianTrader (Jul 3, 2008)

ChristopherPaul said:


> ChristianTrader said:
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So if it was free on Sunday's then all would be well?

CT


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## Vonnie Dee (Jul 4, 2008)

*another cool museum*

I have not been to the creation museum. However, I did go to the Holy Land theme park in Orlando. There are no rides or anything. There were reinactments of scenes from the Bible. A story teller and the crucifiction were among the things we saw. Everyone is dressed in period clothing. The thing that impressed me the most was the Scriptorium they had. It contained Bibles that a collector had allowed them to have on loan. They had a Gutenburg Bible and other old significant copies. At the end, there was a section dedicated to John Bunyan. At the time we had just read Pilgrim's Progress, so this was of real interest to my family. Also, at the time, they allowed you to use a church bulletin as a coupon. Even on vacation, I had several in my purse.


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## DMcFadden (Jul 4, 2008)

> I did go to the Holy Land theme park in Orlando



I took it in last year while at a conference on Aging Services in Orlando. Other than the second commandment violation in the tableaux (which I skipped), the Bible translation exhibit is one of the most interesting hours I have ever spent. The audio animatronic Tyndale was very good. Unfortunately, the park had just come under the ownership of Benny Hinn a few months prior to my visit. He has already put his own "books" next to those by Bunyan, Sproul, and Piper in the gift shop. Next step to eliminate all of the orthodox ones???


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 14, 2008)

FOXNews.com - Creation Museum Draws Half a Million Visitors - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News (October 14, 2008)


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## Wannabee (Oct 14, 2008)

We (our elders, my son and some friends) visited the museum after T4G last spring. It was excellent. Ken Ham has stated very simply that the goal of the museum is to present the Gospel. They did so well. God is the Creator. He has a right to expect obedience from His creatures. His creatures fail miserably and can't do anything about it. God provided the means for restoration through a very personal and costly means; the sacrifice of His own son. It's all there. The final "exhibit" is a "wrap up" of what has been presented and man's dilemma. 
We spent as much time as we could (about 6+ hours), and could have spent another couple of hours there easily. It is a great apologetic resource as well. And, if Ken Ham speaks he offers great discounts on package deals. We bought a bundle for the church library.
I'd go again, but wouldn't go far out of my way to do it. Perhaps with grandkids one day. But not for me personally. Unlike some places where it's more of an experience, once was enough for me.
Regardless of theological disagreements, Ken Ham is a precious brother in Christ and doing more personally for the spread of the Gospel than many of us combined. We can disagree with theology and method, but may we all rejoice that Christ is being preached; even on Sundays.


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## Nightshade (Oct 26, 2008)

JDWiseman said:


> I've heard good things about it, but has anyone on the board actually *been *there yet? I'm thinking of going there on the 4th, and am interested in any feedback people might have.



First, by way of disclosure -- I'm an old-earth creationist, so when I went to the Creation Museum it was with the full understanding that we did not agree as to the age of the earth. That being said, the more time I spent there the angrier I got -- not over the science, but over their treatment of other Christians.

B.B. Warfield being listed as a biblical compromiser was a bit too much for me.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Oct 26, 2008)

It is my understanding that B.B. Warfield _did_ compromise on the matter of Evolution, as did A.A. Hodge.


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