People who visited Ark Encounter may have been exposed to measles

"An unvaccinated, out-of-state traveler" who tested positive for measles recently visited the Creationist attraction, according to the Kentucky Department of Public Health

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In perhaps the most predictable bit of news ever, an unvaccinated person may have spread measles while visiting Ark Encounter, the Creationist “Noah’s Ark” attraction in Kentucky.

Ark Encounter is not a “replica” of anything (image via Shutterstock)

The Kentucky Department of Public Health issued an exposure alert on Wednesday:

Health officials have identified potential measles exposures in Grant County, Kentucky. An unvaccinated, out-of-state traveler stayed at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Dry Ridge from December 28 to 30, 2025 and visited the Ark Encounter on December 29, 2025.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious health complications, especially in young children. Vaccination is the best protection against measles…

As that release suggests, the fact that this person visited Ark Encounter is especially problematic because the virus spreads among unvaccinated people, and you can almost guarantee that the sort of people who visit that place include plenty of vaccine deniers. What is Ark Encounter if not a meet-up spot for the scientifically illiterate

And since Ark Encounter offers free tickets for children, practically encouraging parents to indoctrinate their entire family, there’s also the possibility that unvaccinated kids will pay the price because of one irresponsible person’s ignorance. It’s already happened in South Carolina, where one particular church is now the epicenter of a measles outbreak.

Ark Encounter has not, as of this writing, said anything about the outbreak on social media, a move that strikes me as wildly irresponsible. Neither has (parent company) Answers in Genesis. Though AiG did make this ironic post on New Year’s Eve, days after the measles carrier visited the attraction:

“Science doesn’t conflict with faith,” they say, while scientifically sound vaccines are rejected by people as a result of their faith.

If Ken Ham or anyone else at Answers in Genesis cared about the people they invite to their attractions, including the Creation Museum, they would publicly urge visitors to get vaccinated against measles immediately. After all, their followers are the people most likely to resist the shots. (I suppose it could be worse. Last year, the head of a private Christian school in Texas openly bragged about how they were the least vaccinated school in the state… amidst a measles outbreak.)

It’s hardly surprising that someone who rejects science in one realm would reject it in another. That’s the danger of Creationism. That’s why pro-science advocates have spent so much time and energy fighting faith-based bullshit—not because belief in Creationism is bad for your health, per se, but because there can be serious consequences if you get in a habit of completely ignoring what experts say because a pastor or a holy book demands otherwise.

To put it another way, vaccine denial and Creationism aren’t two separate pathologies. They’re part of the same intellectual rot. If you think scientists are making things up, it’s a lot easier to dismiss the overwhelming evidence that vaccines work.

This isn’t some freak accident. It’s entirely predictable. In a saner world, it would force Creationists to think twice about promoting faith-based ignorance as if it’s a moral stance. Too bad it won’t. For now, we just have to wait and see if this virus begins to spread.

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