The Creation Museum located in Petersburg, Kentucky, is a sister museum to the ultra-accessible Ark Encounter. The museums are about 40 minutes apart and offer packaged ticket deals. We stayed just outside of Cincinnati, which was a convenient launch pad with lots of activities, playgrounds, and restaurants for in between time.
Beyond covering just creation, the museum offers a fascinating exploration of biblical history and the natural world. The Creation Museum has several wheelchair accessible exhibits and offers a mostly wheelchair friendly experience.
Getting Started
After paying for parking, drive towards the main door and head left for the most handicap parking options.
When you enter through the main doors, you’ll need to pass through a security screening. We were able to bypass the metal detector with the wheelchair, but still had a thorough bag search.
When you go through the ticketing line, you can pick up an accessibility map to help you navigate throughout the experience.
After security and ticketing, the first building you’ll see when you enter the grounds is the mobility rentals building. It’s suggested to call ahead for a reservation, but not required.
The Grounds
The museum is not the only thing to see here! Before you make it to the museum, you’ll pass a few other sites.
All Abilities Playground
There were climbing structures and ziplines as well as a recessed merry-go-round and a wheelchair accessible music area. The entire playground has a smooth surface for easy navigation. They also have a sensory swing.
Zoo
The zoo isn’t marked on the accessibility map as a wheelchair friendly option, but we were able to navigate through the enclosures without any issues. The main pathway is paved, but there are gravel sections to get to some of the animals. We enjoyed petting the goats, most!
Botanical Gardens
The botanical gardens are a beautiful highlight of the experience! The gardens are another area that aren’t listed as wheelchair accessible on the map. This is because there is no path that is fully accessible. The main path through the garden is paved. If you enter into the garden on any paved path, there will come a point when you’ll have to turn around and go back. All of the bridges (except for the suspension and floating bridges) are wheelchair and stroller accessible.
There is a sign at most garden entrances that says, “Foot Traffic Only.” I mistakenly assumed that this just meant no scooters or bikes, and learned the hard way that it included wheelchairs! We weren’t the only ones. We saw several other wheelchair users trying to see as much as they could. The gardens are beautiful, and I still think it’s worth peeking in to see what you can see.
Museum
The museum itself is easy to navigate with plenty of accessible options.
Exhibits
The museum covers much more than creation. There are exhibits from natural history dinosaurs to human development and biblical culture. A series of gradual ramps take visitors through the Creation Museum’s main exhibits, creating a shared path for visitors of all abilities. All of the exhibits were fully wheelchair accessible except for the Dino Den. The Dino Den is up a flight of stairs, and there is no elevator access.
4-D Movie
The 4-D movie is a fun family experience that brings creation to life. The theater is accessible, but there are no pull-up seating options. Wheelchairs can be parked in the back of the theater to experience the film in 3-D. If you can transfer down one step, you can sit in a 4-D seat option.
Restrooms
There are wheelchair accessible restrooms in the museum, in the ticketing building, and on the grounds near the playground and outside of the museum. All restrooms have accessible stalls.
Dining
Noah’s Café is the main dining option – a cafeteria style restaurant with burgers, soups, pizza, and daily specials. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available. Palm Café has more of an Italian theme, but it was closed on the day we visited. Noah’s Coffee and Ice Cream offers additional treats. All three of these are in the main museum building. In the admissions building, you can also find a snack shop selling coffee and sweet treats. All four of these dining options are wheelchair friendly.
Hearing Accommodations
For guests with hearing impairments, in addition to captioned videos and visual content to accompany audio, you can request an ASL interpreter for live events. They also host annual “Deaf Days,” when ASL interpreters and Deaf volunteers are available throughout the attraction to answer questions, assist with ticket purchases, interpret the shows and lectures and more!
Sensory Needs
Sensory kits are available for pick up at the Guest Services desk in the main museum. You can also find detailed information on the various exhibits to know how to prepare for sensory needs on the website.
The Creation Museum in Kentucky is not only a fascinating destination for those interested in biblical history and science, but also a mostly accessible one. With wheelchair-friendly exhibits, wheelchair rental services, and accessible parking, the museum strives to make its attractions and educational experiences available to all. The dedication to accessibility aligns with the goal of creating a barrier-free world, ensuring that people of all abilities can be part of the museum’s journey.