Hundreds attend opening of massive Bible exhibit at Ken Ham's Ark Encounter

More than 600 people gathered at Ken Ham's Ark Encounter in Kentucky on Friday for the opening of a massive exhibit that aims to answer difficult questions about the Bible.

Operators of the Ark Encounter unveiled the exhibit called "Why the Bible is True," which follows the story of three college students exploring the truth about the Bible, according to WLWT. The 2,500-square-foot exhibit is presented in a graphic novel format, with the aim of reaching a younger generation.

"We recognize they're changing the culture. Even in the church, the millennial generation is very, very different," said Ham, president and CEO of Answers in Genesis.

The exhibit addresses tough questions about the Bible, including "Is the Bible just another religious text?" "Are the scriptural manuscripts reliable?" and, "What about death and suffering?"

"The gospel will be presented clearly and tastefully in this exceptional exhibit, and in a way that's understandable to our secularized culture," Ham said in a press release.

"We've never hidden the fact at AiG that our main purpose as a ministry is to present the truth of God's Word. Of course, we are not forcing it on guests. AiG just presents the clear gospel message," he added.

Several TV crews and local media outlets were present at the ribbon-cutting, which was also streamed via Facebook Live through Ham's Facebook page.

Thousands of people came to see the opening of the Ark Encounter last July, and over 500,000 have visited the theme park since that time.

Prior to the opening, the Ark Encounter was involved in a dispute whether it should be allowed to participate in a state program that rebates part of the sales taxes generated by tourist attractions. A federal judge eventually ruled that it could take part in the rebate program, World Net Daily reported.

Ham said that there has been a lot of group bookings, and their travel agent has been reportedly having a hard time getting hotel room reservations from April through June from Cincinnati to Lexington.

Operators of the theme park are expecting 1.4 to 2.2 million visitors this year. More exhibits will be added to the attraction this summer, so visitors are encouraged to keep checking back.