Best Things to Do Near the Ark Encounter

The Ark Encounter draws families to Williamstown from all over the country — and most of them are surprised how much else is within an easy drive. Here is how to turn an Ark visit into a full trip.

The Ark Encounter Itself

Plan most of a day for the Ark. The structure is 510 feet long with three decks of exhibits, plus the Ararat Ridge Zoo, playgrounds, and seasonal attractions on the grounds. Buy timed tickets online ahead of your visit, arrive early to beat the midday crowds, and note that combo tickets covering the Creation Museum are usually the better deal if you plan to do both.

The Creation Museum

The Ark’s sister attraction sits in Petersburg, about 45 minutes north, with gardens, a petting zoo, and a full day of indoor exhibits of its own. Most families split the two across two days rather than rushing both into one.

Around Williamstown

Williamstown itself is a small lake town: rent a pontoon or fish on Williamstown Lake, walk the historic Main Street, or just enjoy the quiet — which is exactly why families stay here rather than in a highway hotel corridor. Twenty minutes south, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site (yes, really) has walking trails, a bison herd, and a museum at the birthplace of American paleontology.

Day Trips: Northern Kentucky & Cincinnati

Half an hour north, the Cincinnati riverfront opens up a full second act for your trip: the Newport Aquarium’s underwater tunnels, Newport on the Levee, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (one of the nation’s best), BB Riverboats cruises on the Ohio, and a Florence Y’alls minor-league baseball night. We covered all of it in our Northern Kentucky guide.

Where to Eat

Williamstown and nearby Dry Ridge cover the family basics — pizza, barbecue, diner breakfasts — and the Ark itself has one of the largest restaurants in the region. For a bigger night out, Covington’s Mainstrasse Village is 35 minutes up I-75. With a full kitchen at the house, most of our guests do big family breakfasts at home and save restaurants for dinner.

Where to Stay

This is where staying in Williamstown beats commuting from Cincinnati: our Williamstown vacation homes are minutes from the Ark’s gates and built for exactly the families who visit it — pools, playgrounds, game rooms, and room for 12 to 30 people. See Ark Encounter: Where to Stay With a Large Family or Group for the full rundown of which home fits your crew.