The Ark Encounter, a Christian fundamentalist theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky, has been a source of controversy since its inception. Despite being a private religious attraction, it has received substantial taxpayer-funded benefits, discriminates in its hiring practices, and promotes scientifically debunked claims and pseudoscience.

1. PUBLIC FUNDING & TAXPAYER BURDEN
Despite claims that the Ark Encounter is privately funded, public records show that local and state governments have provided millions in taxpayer-backed incentives and subsidies:

 

• Land Giveaway: The City of Williamstown sold 98 acres of land to Ark Encounter for just $1.

• Direct Payments: Williamstown also gave Ark Encounter’s parent company, Answers in Genesis (AiG), $175,000 in cash.

• Tax Breaks: The city reduced property taxes for the Ark.

• Junk Bonds: The city issued $62 million in unsecured junk bonds to finance the Ark’s construction.

• Diverted Tax Revenue: 75% of Ark Encounter’s property taxes go to repaying bonds instead of funding local schools, emergency services, and infrastructure.

• Employee Wage Deduction: Ark Encounter employees must pay 2% of their wages toward bond debt for the next 30 years—a hidden "Ark tax" on workers.

• State-funded Road Upgrades: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spent $11 million to upgrade Interstate 75 exits in anticipation of a tourism boom that never materialized.

• Inconsistent Property Valuation: AiG claims the Ark is worth $130 million on federal tax forms and when seeking loans. The Grant County property tax office (which funds local schools) assesses the Ark’s value at just $48 million, reducing its tax contributions to the community.

2. EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

Ark Encounter has strict religious hiring policies that exclude people based on their beliefs and identities:
Faith Requirement: Employees must sign a statement of faith affirming:

​​

• Young Earth Creationism (belief that Earth is 6,000 years old)

• Rejection of LGBTQ+ identities

• Exclusionary Hiring Practices: Critics argue this violates equal employment laws by discriminating against:

• Non-Christians

• LGBTQ+ individuals

• People who do not adhere to AiG’s specific religious views

3. SPREADING SCIENTIFIC MISINFORMATION
Ark Encounter presents Young Earth Creationism as fact, contradicting established scientific knowledge:
Claims the Earth is only 6,000 years old, rejecting scientific evidence from geology, astronomy, and physics.
Teaches that humans and dinosaurs coexisted, contradicting all paleontological evidence.
Rejects evolution, radiometric dating, and other foundational scientific principles.
Scientists, educators, and secular advocates warn that the park undermines science education and misleads visitors, especially children.

CONCLUSION: WHY WE PROTEST

The Ark Encounter is not just a theme park—it is a taxpayer-subsidized project that:

​

•  Diverts public funds away from schools and local services

•  Discriminates against employees based on religion and identity

•  Promotes misinformation that contradicts established science

​

We are gathering to demand transparency, accountability, and the end of public subsidies for religious projects. Join us on July 6, 2025, to stand for science, fairness, and the separation of church and state.