The Creation Museum in Kentucky was on our radar since the time we visited the Ark Encounter in 2018. When my son asked last year to visit King’s Island, just outside of Cincinnati, we were happy to oblige and include a trip to the Creation Museum.
For those who don’t know, the Creation Museum is a 75,000 square-foot museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, which is about 35 miles south of Cincinnati. The museum opened in May 2007, nine years before its sister attraction, the Ark Encounter.
The sites are the top two religious museums in the country, according to USA Today. Here are our tips for having a great visit to this North Kentucky attraction.
1. Buy your tickets online
Once we were inside, we noticed the ticket window was very busy. Buying your tickets online will save you time. The Creation Museum also offers several discounts online if you want to see the Ark Encounter and the museum. The admission price is $49.95 for adults ages 18-59. Seniors over the age of 60 are $44.95 and youth 11-15 are $29,95. Kids 10 and under are admitted free in 2023.
I recommend getting a combo pass for the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. You can also purchase a three-day combo “bounce pass” if you want to be able to visit both attractions at your convenience.
The museum offers several experiences for an additional charge. They include a planetarium and ziplining. I don’t think we would try ziplining but we would likely enjoy the planetarium.
2. Get there early
We visited on a Saturday decided to get there around the time the museum opened. Apparently, so did a thousand or so others. Luckily, we left our hotel in Erlanger early enough to navigate the country roads my smart phone said was the shortest way. You will have to pay for parking so the earlier you arrive the less time you will have to wait to get to the booth. The parking lot was not very full when we arrived. By the time we left about five hours later, it was full.
I am not sure what the crowds are like through the week. We plan on returning on a weekday on our next visit.
3. Plan to stay the entire day, or most of it
We realized when we arrived that we didn’t block off enough time to enjoy everything. The Creation Museum has so much to see, which I will mention later. You need all day to see it.
You don’t even need to pack a lunch. Noah’s Café offers a variety of options that will make even picky eaters happy. We had plans for a late lunch elsewhere so we didn’t dine at the museum. We did enjoy some coffee and soft drinks there.
4. Don’t skip the theater
Besides not blocking off enough time, this is my greatest regret about our visit. We talked to many people who raved about the experience. The Creation Museum shows several movies in 4D daily. We saw our first 4D movie in Louisiana in January and we loved it. The museum has a calendar of showings that is updated daily. The theater is free with your ticket price.
5. Tour the Creation Museum’s zoo and garden
This was one of our favorite parts. We visited in early October just before the leaves were about to turn. The garden features a pond that I could sit beside for hours. You will find signs along the way identifying the beautiful plants and trees.
The Children’s Petting Zoo is just not for the younger crowd. We enjoyed seeing the animals. This guy was hoping we had treats. Sadly, we did not.
6. Check out the special events
The Creation Museum hosts lectures, concerts and other special events throughout the year. Many of them are educational, like the Explore Days that give students an opportunity to learn more about science-related topics. The museum also has special holiday-themed events.
7. Be patient
As a mentioned, we went on a Saturday and it was very crowded. If you are the type who wants to read every exhibit, you will have to work your way through. Steve is more likely to read everything in a museum while I skim the exhibits. Take your time because you don’t want to miss anything. The dioramas are just stunning. The pictures do not do them justice.
8, Explore more of Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio
We love this region. This was our second visit and we plan on returning. We discovered “America’s Notre Dame“ and visited Big Bone Lick State Park to see the bison roam. We have a long list of things we want to do in Northern Kentucky when we return, including a return visit to the Ark Encounter.
Cincinnati is about a 40 minute drive away. It’s one of my favorite “big cities.” We enjoyed four baseball games at the Great American Ballpark in 2018 when Ronald Acuna Jr. made his major league debut.
We stayed at the Wyndham Hotel in Erlanger for this visit. In 2018, we stayed at the Radisson in Covington. It’s that round hotel you pass on your way into Cincinnati from Kentucky. There’s a great restaurant on the 18th floor that you must try to get the best views of the city. Learn more about what to do and where to say in Northern Kentucky here.
