An enormous replica of Noah's Ark, designed to be a veritable Biblical theme park, opened to the public in Kentucky on Thursday.
Built using the actual measurements found in the Bible, the incredible faux vessel measures a whopping 510 feet long and is constructed mostly of wood.
Contained within the ark are displays showing replica animals living inside cages as if they were making the maritime journey detailed in the story of Noah.
In keeping with the creationist view of the organizers behind the attraction, the ark also includes cages which feature dinosaur replicas as well.
At a cost of over $100 million dollars, the attraction has generated considerable controversy beyond its unique inclusion of dinosaurs.
A ruling from a federal judge will provide the facility with a tax break of nearly $18 million dollars, despite its clearly religious theme.
Additionally, employees at the ark are required to be Christian and must sign a statement attesting to that religious affiliation.
Thursday's opening drew 4,000 attendees and the group behind the project expect around 2 million visitors in the ark's first year.
While the nature of the facility will almost certainly continue to inspire passionate debate, we suspect there will be little argument about where to go in the event that another Biblical flood overtakes the planet.
Coast Insiders that want to learn more about tales of a worldwide flood in ancient texts as well as the modern search for Noah's Ark can check out author Larry Stone's 3/6/2014 appearance on the program.
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Source: LA Times