Creation Museum - History

History

The museum was originally marketed as the Creation Museum and Family Discovery Center. It opened on May 28, 2007, as "Creation Museum". The museum is located north-northeast of Petersburg, Kentucky, roughly 12 miles (19 km) from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on 49 acres (20 ha) of land; the Answers in Genesis main offices are attached to the museum. The facility's stated mission is to "exalt Jesus Christ as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer", to "equip Christians to better evangelize the lost", and to "challenge visitors to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord".

According to founder of Answers in Genesis Ken Ham: "One of the main reasons we moved there was because we are within one hour's flight of 69 percent of America's population." Ham also explains how the idea of the museum originated: "Australia's not really the place to build such a facility if you're going to reach the world. Really, America is." Previously Ham worked for the Institute for Creation Research, which once ran a creationist museum in Santee, California, with free admission.

The museum's official groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 17, 2001, but plans for the museum had been in the works since the mid-1990s. A significant reason for the time span between planning and execution related to zoning battles which saw the museum's original location turned down. The zoning issues continued to its present location, with the final legal victory for Answers in Genesis becoming official in March 2000.

For most of its time in construction, the cost of building the museum was set at US$25 million. However, in response to studies and media reports that suggested an even larger number of visitors estimated annually than previously expected, the museum's cost increased to US$27 million as expansion to the front of the building, the parking lot, and the cafe were incorporated. Mark Looy, Chief Communications Officer for Answers in Genesis, stated that around 75% of contributions averaged around US$100 per gift.

One anonymous Cincinnati, Ohio family donated $1 million to the cause. Two other families also gave donations in excess of $1 million.

The museum opened to the public on May 28, 2007, although about 5000 charter members received advance tours in the days before that. Among those getting an early preview was local Congressman Geoff Davis and his family, who have been supporters of the project. Ken Ham called the grand opening "not just a historic event in America, but a historic event in Christendom". In addition to elected officials at the county and state levels and representatives from the state and federal governments, over 130 credentialed reporters covered the ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 26, 2007. The Chronicle of Higher Education gave the museum an extensive pre-opening review.

The museum, which is said to have cost $27 million, is privately funded through donations to the apologetics ministry Answers in Genesis. Based on projections, the museum anticipated 250,000 paying visitors in its first year of operation. According to AiG, within its first two months attendance surpassed 100,000 visitors by July 21, 2007 and 200,000 visitors on September 20, 2007. They claim that visitor attendance exceeded first year expectations only 5 months and 5 days after opening, with a total of 250,000 visitors on November 2, 2007, and the half-million visitor mark was reached just under 9 months later. The one-millionth visitor was announced on April 26, 2010, just over a month away from the museum's three-year anniversary.

In 2012, it was reported that the "public fascination" with the Creation Museum was "fading." In November 2012, the AiG reported that attendance for the year ended June 30 came to 254,074, which was a 10 percent drop from the previous year and is the museum’s "fourth straight year of declining attendance and its lowest annual attendance yet."