WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — While most notable as the 39th President of the United States, former President Jimmy Carter was also a master wood worker and an admirer of craftsmanship.

What You Need To Know

  • President Jimmy Carter visited Ark Encounter in 2016 a few weeks before it opened

  • Located in Williamstown, the Ark Encounter is 510-foot long and is a depiction of Noah's Ark in the Bible 

  • Carter was a woodworker and used his skills to build homes with Habitat for Humanity

  • Ark Encounter has welcomed 1 million people every year since opening except during pandemic closures

In 2016, President Carter came to northern Kentucky to admire one of the largest wooden structures around.

“As we were opening, one of my friends flew in from California and just stood about where we are right now and said this is like the eighth wonder of the modern world and many others have said the same thing,” said Mark Looy, co-founder of the Ark Encounter.

The Ark Encounter is truly a wonder and is the largest timber-frame project in the U.S. At 510 feet long, the Ark Encounter is a modern day depiction of the Noah’s Ark story from the Bible’s book of Genesis.

Looy said since its opening, the replica ark has received over 1 million visitors every year except 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“92% of our guests don’t even live in the area so this has very much become an international theme park attraction,” Looy said.

Prior to its opening in 2016, President Carter made the trip from Georgia to Williamstown to tour the Ark Encounter before it was completed.

“One of his closest friends, someone he vacationed with and built homes with Habitat for Humanity was our architect here, the late Leroy Troyer and so Leroy invited the president to come up from Georgia,” Looy said.

Carter, a master woodworker himself toured the grounds with Looy and the rest of the Answers in Genesis leadership team. Answers in Genesis is the parent company that operates Ark Encounter.

“He was very, very complimentary of the craftsmanship because he was very good with his hands,” Looy said. Looy said the President spent an entire day there eating lunch and discussed various topics from baseball to Middle East politics.

“He was very easygoing, humble and just a delightful man to talk to and be around,” Looy said.

Since Carter’s visit, the grounds have grown even larger with plans of continuing to expand.

“Children’s playground here, that’s our VR experience where you put on some goggles and you get in a seat that moves, feels like you’re being ushered back in time to Noah building the ship,” Looy said.

There is also a zoo on the property with camels, kangaroos and other animals.

For more information on the attraction, visit their website.

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