The Ark Encounter recently introduced a high-tech $3 million VR experience, named the “Truth Traveler,” with its first virtual reality show, called the “A Flood of Reality.” Guests will get top-notch VR headsets that include studio-quality headphones. There will be special-effects motion seats that will enhance their experience as they indulge in a time travel to the era of Noah and the Ark.
Guests will go back nearly 4,500 years in history to witness Noah and his men developing the Ark and see the animals entering the ship. They also get to experience the flood’s dramatic start, ride in the floating Ark, and view the ship on the mountains of Ararat.
Reinforces the Bible’s truth
The Ark Encounter is the brainchild of Answers in Genesis. Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis’s founder, expressed his excitement about the remarkable high-tech VR addition. Ham also appears as a hologram at the program’s beginning and end. He talked about this 4K virtual reality experience, stating that its production-quality and immersive feel are what people would expect from Universal Studios or Walt Disney and that the message is different. The virtual reality show depicts Noah’s Ark and the Flood in the form of factual history and reinforces the Bible’s truth.
Immersive experience
In the VR building, 12 individual bays support four seats each. The custom-made seats were manufactured in California, and they immensely enhance the guests’ experience as they travel back in time. Also, the seats add scents, full-motion, and wind blasts, providing a flying sensation. The impressive headsets help put the guests into an immersive experience, with high-quality headphones that produce excellent audio narration and engaging sounds from “P.O.D”, a lively animated guide. This robot provides a guided and fun time travel tour.
The virtual reality experience needs a timed ticket that one can buy onsite for an extra charge above the usual Ark admission fee. In developing the virtual reality experience, the Ark Encounter collaborated with the Virtual Truth Experiences’ owner, someone who is passionate about leveraging virtual reality to share biblical truth and is also an AiG supporter. Two virtual reality experience firms came on board to create the 10-minute interactive program: Groove Jones developed the program’s animation and technology structure, and MediaMation created the special motion EFX seats.
COVID-19
The Creation Museum in Petersburg, the Ark’s sister attraction, continues to add exhibits. Both the venues are operating while keeping the COVID – 19 regulations in mind, and hence, conduct their staff’s temperature tests, daily clean and sanitize the places, provide their employees with masks, and indulge in several other safety procedures.
Strong attendance
Ham said that he was greatly encouraged to witness so many people, including children, visiting them. They were closed for about three months, and with all that has occurred across the country, they were not sure what to expect for the initial weeks. But, the strong attendance surprised them. They have also received the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Community Award for having such a significant impact on the region.
