Creation Museum

{{bronze}}
[[File:Creation Museum logo.png|thumb|right|165px|*Insert witty comment*]]
{{crenav}}
{{cquote|The Creation Museum — you will never find a more wretched hive of dumb and villainy.|||
[[Star Wars|Obi Wan Kenobi]]
 [[Seth Andrews|An atheist]], when visiting the Creation Museum<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVHWq0ZGE_Y Atheists at the Creation Museum] by  TheThinkingAtheist (Jun 22, 2013) ''YouTube''.</ref>}}

{{cquote|It has the look and feel of something that should be real… but then when you stop and think about what they are saying and you really take a look at what they are doing, you realize, this is all a lie, this is all [[bullshit]].|||[[Hemant Mehta]]<ref>[https://youtu.be/9rF6MXrvCtI?t=336 Creation Museum. Real Threat or a Joke?] by Hemant Methta (Jan 10, 2014) ''The Atheist Voice'' (YouTube).</ref>}}

The '''Creation "Museum"''' is a $27 million amusement park located in Petersburg, [[Kentucky]], [[USA]] just a few miles from Cincinnati, near the Kentucky-Indiana-Ohio tripoint, which should tell you all you need to know.<ref name="MSNBC">[https://web.archive.org/web/20060808000122/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14122311/ MSNBC:High-tech museum brings creationism to life]</ref>  [[Ken Ham]], president of [[Answers in Genesis]] (AIG) founded it<ref name="CMA">[http://www.creationmuseum.org/about CreationMuseaum:About]</ref>  and it is devoted to the [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationist]] idea that "The [[Bible]] is true from [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] to [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]]!"<ref name="CMA"/><ref>"Police and Thieves", Murvin/Perry</ref> &mdash; that is, in complete opposition to the [[scientific consensus]] and basic [[logic]].<ref>[http://geology.about.com/library/bl/blaguevol.htm About.com:Geology]</ref>  

The unaccredited museum<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160801021703/http://www.aam-us.org/docs/accreditation/list-of-accredited-museums.pdf List of Accredited Museums], March 2014 American Alliance of Museums (archived from August 1, 2016). See "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140630172542/http://aam-us.org/resources/assessment-programs/accreditation/accredited-museums American Alliance of Museums: Accreditation]" for current status.</ref> promotes the idea that "[[Pseudohistory|the Bible is the history book of the universe]]". This is somehow supposed to be in line with their idea that "facts don't speak for themselves" and that the Bible contains the "correct" way to interpret any and all [[evidence]] available in the physical world. A lot of the things they say are not even found in the Bible itself, and seem to be the product of people trying to think of ways to explain things further to make sense (if they can possibly make sense at all). They seem to be [[Argumentum ex culo|pulling most of it out of their ass]], which is probably why it's so full of crap.

The Creation Museum is located very close to the {{wpl|Big Bone Lick State Park||,}} "The Birthplace of American Paleontology" and one of the largest [[fossil]] finds in North America.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVHWq0ZGE_Y&feature=player_detailpage#t=92 Atheists at the Creation Museum] by TheThinkingAtheist (Jun 22, 2013) ''YouTube''.</ref>

==Creation Museum "science"==
{{cquote|I went to the Creation Museum and all I got was stupider|||Bumper sticker slogan<ref>Bumper sticker quoted by amunptah777 on 9/24/2007 8:52:22 PM at [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/219/story_21925_1.html Belief.net]</ref>}}
[[Lawrence Krauss]],{{efn|Currently of Arizona State University.}} director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics at Case Western Reserve University ([[Ohio]]), stated publicly that the Creation Museum is both a "fraud" and "[[hypocritical]]" because:

{{quotebox|It repeatedly misrepresents the process and results of science and distorts the scientific record. Yet in every case it takes advantage of the technical wizardry of science to get its point across, with a series of dazzling animatronic displays and explanations"<ref> Kraus, L, 2007 quoted in "Museum of Misinformation", New Scientist, May 26th 2007, p24</ref>}}

Krauss debated AiG president [[Ken Ham]] in May 2007 on [[Fox News]] Channel's popular program ''[[The O’Reilly Factor]]''.<ref>Source:[http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2007/05/28/museum-news-oreilly Answers in Genesis]. This has to be a first: accurate information at AiG!!!</ref> 

The Creation Museum shows a [[heliocentrism|heliocentric]] solar system and a spherical [[Earth]], though the [[Bible]] suggests [[geocentrism]] and a [[Flat Earth]]. [[Ken Ham]] is inconsistent as he insists theoretically on [[Biblical literalism]] but in [[Hypocrisy|practice]] accepts [[scientific]] accounts of the nature of the Earth, the [[Solar System]], and the [[Universe]]. Still, these conflict with the Bible.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160709133324/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/06/the-science-in-the-creation-museum/ The “Science” in the Creation Museum]</ref> [[PZ Myers]] wrote:

{{quotebox|Touring his "museum" is an exercise in chronic irritation, as every exhibit is a dishonest mess, all justified with that pathetic excuse of "One world, two views", and hey, this is just our opinion, and it’s just as valid as everyone else’s. Only it’s not. AiG doesn’t get to have their own facts. But this is also their weakness, and how we’ll win, eventually. Their big, expensive projects are monuments to the fact that prayers and the Bible are not enough, and they know it.<ref name=Myers09/07/2016>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/07/09/smug-and-delusional/ Smug and delusional]</ref>}}

==Dinosaurs==
[[File:Pz_dino_lg.jpeg|thumb|right|165px|[[Paul Zachary Myers|PZ Myers]] riding the 'missionary lizard' on his August 2009 visit to the Creation Museum.]]
[[File:Creation Museum Wrecking Ball.jpg|thumb|right|165px|The wrecking ball]]
{{cquote|We are taking dinosaurs back — they are our '[[missionary]] lizards'{{efn|Dinosaurs are reptiles, but are ''not'' lizards; in fact, they are much more closely related to ''birds''.}} that help make clear that Genesis and the whole Bible is true.|||Bob Gillespie of AiG<ref name=trollinger>''Righting America at the Creation Museum'' by Susan L. Trollinger & William Vance Trollinger Jr. (2016) Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 1421419513.</ref>{{rp|204}}}}
{{Cquote|Humans and ancient dinosaurs did not live at the same time. It's completely unreasonable. (…) [Science shows the earth existed for billions of years and no worldwide flood happened during the last 6,000 years.] We're going to raise a generation of kids who are scientifically illiterate.” |||[[Bill Nye|Bill Nye the Science Guy]]<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/us/noahs-ark-creationism-ken-ham.html?_r=0 A Noah's Ark in Kentucky, Dinosaurs Included]</ref>}}
[[Dinosaur]]s (of the non-[[bird]] variety) are common in the Creation Museum: after all, the kiddies love 'em, and they are therefore a depressingly effective tool for indoctrination. The Creation Museum contains numerous displays of non-avian dinosaurs coexisting peacefully with humans<ref>[http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/arts/24crea.html NYtimes:Adam and Eve in the Land of the Dinosaurs]</ref> despite the overwhelming evidence that they died out millions of years before the first humans,<ref>[http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/dinosaur.html University of California]</ref> and in case that discrepancy comes up the place also has an exhibit showing a wrecking ball labeled "MILLIONS OF YEARS" striking the foundation of a church to reinforce the [[false dilemma]] that one must believe either all the Bible (except of course those parts the [[fundamentalists]] choose to ignore) or none of it at all. The Creation Museum supports the view that all dinosaurs in the [[Garden of Eden]] were herbivores,<ref>[http://fishfeet2007.blogspot.com/2007/04/t-rex-ate-coconuts.html Fish feet:T-Rex ate coconuts]</ref> and when asked why ''T. rex'' had six-inch-long serrated teeth the guide will explain that [[PIDOOMA|those were for opening coconuts]].<ref name="sciblog">[https://archive.ph/HNxHO Science blogs:Pharyngula]</ref>  

The evidence that the Creation Museum presents for the co-existence of dinosaurs and humans is a verse in the [[Book of Job]] mentioning a [[behemoth]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070617053700/http://www.telecomtally.com/blog/2007/05/this_is_not_about_dinosaurs.html Abnormal Interests]</ref> whose description creationists claim fits that of a sauropod dinosaur. This has been demonstrated to be false, but they still insist on spreading the falsehood.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081207211834/http://stupiddinosaurlies.org/the-truth-about-behemoth/ The truth about behemoth]</ref> It does not bother them that the same book that talks about the behemoth also talks about [[dragon]]s<ref>[http://www.accuracyingenesis.com/dragon.html Accuracy in genesis]</ref> and how the behemoth and the [[leviathan]] will fight a mighty battle at [[Armageddon|the end of the world]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20001215185500/http://www.wbenjamin.org/neumannproject.html The Franz Neumann Project]</ref>

On the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] Radio programme ''Today'' (May 31<sup>st</sup> 2007), Ken Ham was interviewed about the Creation Museum. He provided an example of the "scientific evidence" that [[Dinosaur|dinosaurs]] and humans had at one time lived together &mdash; it was a drawing on a cave wall which showed humans hunting what appeared to be dinosaurs.

[[File:17 14 267 creation museum.jpg|thumb|right|165px|The Creation Museum's allosaur fossil with the furcula located between the arm bones]]
Apparently, humans in the past:
*were incapable of making stuff up so the cave paintings ''had'' to be accurate, and 
*''never'' found fossil dinosaurs and ''could never'' have developed painting from what they knew about the fossils.

The Creation Museum was given an authentic allosaur specimen which 
lived and died during the Jurassic period roughly 150 million years ago
 died during [[global flood|Noah's flood]] a few thousand years ago and proved the flood really happened.<ref>[http://guardianlv.com/2014/05/creation-museum-fossil-claimed-as-proof-of-noahs-flood/ Creation Museum Fossil Claimed as Proof of Noah’s Flood]</ref> The allosaur will teach children and adults young earth creationism.<ref>[http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2014/05/16/something-big-is-almost-here/ Something Big is Almost Here]</ref> Ironically, the allosaur skeleton contains a clearly visible furcula (wishbone), an anatomical trait that supports the evolutionary link between theropod dinosaurs and birds.

===Blatant errors===
[[File:Dinosaur P4280279.jpg|thumb|right|A ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' model with, among other errors, an incorrectly proportioned chest and forelimbs that are too distant from each other]]
{{cquote|As I head for the exit I have mixed feelings about the place. Sure, I think, it's wacky, but each to their own delusion, and at least the government isn't funding this. Then another party of wide-eyed, eager-to-learn schoolchildren is ushered past.|||''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' writer visiting the Creation Museum<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/jun/06/evidence-creation-museum 'We don't have to be afraid of the real evidence' – Creation Museum]</ref>}}
Apart from the obvious, the place makes several mistakes with the models. Example models include a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' dragging its tail on the floor in an upright position that would have broken its spine and an ''Iguanadon'' with skin completely different from fossilised imprints. Other mistakes stem from the fact that some models are clearly copied from Stan Winston's dinosaur designs from the ''Jurassic Park'' series rather than from actual fossil finds. Examples include a featherless ''Utahraptor'' sporting anatomically incorrect pronated forearms (its hands facing forwards instead of towards each other)<ref name="PHELPS">[http://ncse.com/creationism/general/anti-museum-overview-review-answers-genesis-creation-museum National Center for Science Education - Anti-Museum overview]</ref><ref name=paul2002>Gregory S. Paul, ''Dinosaurs of the Air: The Evolution and Loss of Flight in Dinosaurs and Birds''</ref> and a baby ''T. rex'' with oversized eyes and a short snout like the one in ''The Lost World''. Not content with displaying ignorance of just dinosaurs, there are several incorrect reconstructions of Mesozoic flora, one example is a cycad plant reconstructed as little more than a completely unrelated giant pineapple.<ref name="PHELPS" />

There is some indication that the dinos featured in the [[Ark Encounter]] will incorporate more scientifically approved designs, or that at least Ark staff are acknowledging that perhaps the designs from ''Jurassic Park'' aren't entirely accurate: ''Spinosaurus'' is described in an official blog post as having heavily reduced back legs (reflecting 2014 discoveries),<ref>[https://arkencounter.com/blog/2014/12/12/forgotten-fauna-spinosaurs/ Forgotten Fauna: Spinosaurs], ''Ark Encounter'' (Dec 12, 2014)</ref> and a video showing the construction of juvenile ''Tyrannosaurus'' models shows them with unpronated forearms and elongated skulls, in stark contrast to the broken-wristed, pug-nosed ''Lost World'' ripoff in the main "museum".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160511055758/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-PwKi0fcPQ Forming the Second T. rex], ''[[YouTube]]'' (Jul 31, 2015)</ref>

==What the heck is "the Bible"?==
[[File:Creation Museum - Kentucky (6009852033).jpg|thumb|right|165px|The 7 Cs]]
{{cquote|As soon as you surrender the Bible's authority in one area, you "unlock a door" to do the same thing in other areas. Once the door of compromise is open, even if ajar just a little, subsequent generations push the door open wider. Ultimately, this compromise has been a major contributing factor in the loss of biblical authority in our Western world.<BR>
The church should heed the warning of {{bible|Proverbs|30|6}}, "Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."|||Ken Ham<ref>[https://answersingenesis.org/creationism/young-earth/does-the-gospel-depend-on-a-young-earth/ Does the Gospel Depend on a Young Earth?] by Ken Ham (November 10, 2013) ''Answers Magazine''.</ref>}}
Despite being founded on the principles of [[biblical literalism]], the Museum has a rather odd relationship with text from the Bible, as displayed in the museum, specifically:<ref name=hayes>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180320194600/https://www.au.org/church-state/april-2017-church-state/books-ideas/creating-a-christian-nation Creating A Christian Nation? Academic Duo Examines Ken Ham’s Creation Museum In New Book] by Liz Hayes (April 2017) ''Americans United for the Separation of Church and State''.</ref><ref name=trollinger/>
*No complete rendition of Genesis 1 through 11 is present anywhere at the museum — despite these passages being utterly foundational to the Museum (and [[YEC]] generally)
*Many (originally complete) quotes from the Bible [[Quote mining|are presented in fragmented form]]
*Increasing the selective nature of the presentation, there is an [[Conservapedia:The Conservative Bible Project|inconsistent use of biblical translations]]
*Scripture is further convoluted by [[Shoehorning|"creative editing" and a general lack of context]]

For a Museum that explicitly encourages children to attend (only $16 for a child in 2017 vs. $30 for an adult<ref>[https://creationmuseum.org/tickets/?ticketpanel=01 Creation Museum Tickets]</ref>), there's an oddly creepy obsession with defending [[incest]]. Specifically, the Museum defends incest during the first third of the 6000-year biblical history, but argues that it hasn't been OK in the second third.<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|177-179}}

As such, the two authors — who had ''initially'' expected a place like 
Ken Ham's Pleasure Paradise
 the Creation Museum to remain "loyal" to the word of the Bible — soon recognized the deeply absurd nature of the entire installation, reflecting that:

{{quotebox|Over time we realized that this really is not surprising. More than presenting the Bible itself, the Creation Museum seeks to present a very particular young-earth creationist interpretation of the Bible as the truth. And the effort to make the case for this very particular interpretation overwhelms any effort to attend to the details and the idiosyncrasies of the biblical text.<ref name=hayes/>}}

Notably, the idiosyncratic view of the Bible presented at the Creation Museum leads to an almost [[Jesus]]-free Christianity as displayed in the Museum.<ref name=hayes/> Keeping in mind that it's supposed to be Jesus who even puts the ''Christ'' in "Christianity" to begin with.

These deficiencies allow for the Museum to gloss over [[Biblical contradictions]] within Genesis, ignores the [[Documentary hypothesis]] which posits that there are multiple contradictory literary sources of Genesis, and show the hypocrisy of the Museum by claiming literalness but not actually presenting it.<ref name=trollinger/>

Though not explicitly stated,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150513113517/https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/christian-life/why-dont-christians-follow-all-the-old-testament-laws/ Why Don’t Christians Follow All the Old Testament Laws?] by Bodie Hodge (May 6, 2013) ''Answers in Genesis''.</ref> the Creation Museum is based on a simplified version of a rather narrow division of Christianity, or even of fundamentalism, that of [[dispensational pre-millennialism]]. This can be inferred from the exhibit titled "7 C's in God's Eternal Plan" (Creation, Corruption, [[Global flood|Catastrophe]], [[Tower of Babel|Confusion]], Christ, [[Crucifiction|Cross]], Consummation), which is particular to dispensational pre-millennialism.<ref name=trollinger/>

===Evolution, slavery, and the Holocaust===
The Museum attempts to paint a Biblical harmony among races, while implying that [[Darwin]]'s theory of evolution supported [[slavery]] and led to the [[Holocaust]]. Towards the end of Bible Walkthrough Experience section is a large signboard that state, "According to God's Word… We're All One Race — 'One Blood.'", and quoting the beginning  of {{bible|Acts|17|26}} "God has made of one blood all nations."<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|179}} The Museum's argument on Darwin influencing [[Hitler]] is basically a [[Association fallacy|guilt-by-association fallacy]] (Darwin → [[eugenics]] → [[Nazi analogies|Hitler]]) combined with taking a [[Stephen Jay Gould]] [[Quote mining|quote out of context]].<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|179-184}} The argument that evolutionary theory supported racism is also supported in the Museum by misquoting Gould, but nowhere is the Bible quoted regarding slavery. This is because if anything, the Bible ''supports'' slavery and even racial [[segregation]].<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|184-191}} The Museum has rewritten the history of Acts 17:26 by quote-mining the Bible and ignoring the fact that the full text of Acts 17:26 was in fact used by white Biblical literalists to justify racial segregation in both the United States<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170223201344/http://www.centralseminary.edu/resources/nick-of-time/404-people-of-god-segregation People of God: Segregation] September 21, 2012 ''Central Seminary''.</ref><ref>''Mississippi Praying: Southern White Evangelicals and the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1975'' by Carolyn Renée Dupont (2013) New York University Press. ISBN 1479823511.</ref>{{rp|83}} and South Africa:<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/1986/0612/z1afrik2.html The theology of apartheid] by Ned Temko (June 12, 1986) ''The Christian Science Monitor''.</ref>
{{cquote|And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;}}

===Less literal than thou===
The Creation Museum shows a [[heliocentrism|heliocentric]] solar system and a spherical Earth though the [[Bible]] suggests [[geocentrism]] and a [[flat Earth]]. [[Ken Ham]] is pretty inconsistent, considering the man insists ''theoretically'' on [[Biblical literalism]], but ''practically'' accepts [[Cherry picking|a select few]] scientific accounts of the nature of Earth, the solar system, and the [[Universe]] — despite these findings conflicting with the 
nonsensical
 word of the Bible.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160709133324/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/06/the-science-in-the-creation-museum/ The "Science" in the Creation Museum] by Hemant Mehta, July 6, 2016, ''Friendly Atheist''</ref> Ham must have realized that to accept the ancient cosmology of the Bible would make him a laughingstock, but the consequence of accepting what amounts to biblical semi-literalism is the necessity of cherry picking from the Bible for the Museum, particularly by not quoting the complete Genesis 1-11, specifically the troublesome passages of {{bible|Genesis|1|6|7}}, {{bible|Genesis|7|11}}, and {{bible|Genesis|1|16|17}}.<ref name=trollinger/>

Being more literal than the next preacher to win debates is a time-honored tradition,<ref name=trollinger/> but for all the failures of the Museum to keep to biblical literalism, it even fails when confronted by other biblical literalists. The Museum does not support geocentrism, and as geocentrist Gerardus Bouw points out in response to [[Danny Faulkner]] of Answers in Genesis, geocentrism is a more literal interpretation of the Bible.<ref>[https://answersingenesis.org/creationism/arguments-to-avoid/geocentrism-and-creation/ Geocentrism and Creation] by Danny R. Faulkner (August 1, 2001) ''Answers in Genesis''.</ref><ref>''Geocentricity: The Biblical Cosmology'' by Gerardus Bouw (1992) Association for Biblical Astronomy.</ref><ref name=trollinger/> For those keeping score, geocentrist parts of the Bible are: {{bible|Joshua|10|12|13}}, {{bible|1 Chronicles|16|30}}, {{bible|Psalm|19|6}}, {{bible|Psalm|93|1}}, {{bible|Psalm|96|10}}, {{bible|Psalm|104|5}}, and {{bible|Ecclesiastes|1|5}}.

===Spiritual antecendents===
Given that the Museum is not faithful to the Bible despite being founded on Biblical literalism, it should not be surprising that the Museum is also not faithful to its spiritual antecedents in the Biblical Authority room:
*[[Martin Luther]], the founder of Protestantism, is portrayed, not posting to his famous [[Martin Luther#95 Theses|95 Theses]], but rather posting a quote from "a character named Fritz in a nineteenth-century historical novel by Elizabeth Rundle Charles"; at least the novel is about Luther.<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|139}}<ref>''Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family, By Two of Themselves'' by Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1868) Dodd, Mead.</ref>
*The ''[[Scofield Reference Bible]]'', the most important document in [[dispensationalism]] and biblical inerrancy, is not accurately represented.<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|137-138}} In the display of Scofield's Bible showing {{bible|Genesis|1|1|2}}, the explanatory notes have been partly-excised and replaced.<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|140-141}}

==Science, as it appears==
The Creation Museum presents a superficially fair presentation of YEC vs. evolution, presenting them side-by-side in many parts of the museum. The Museum, like [[Bill Nye debates Ken Ham#"Observational" versus "historical" science|Ham's debate with Bill Nye]], uses a [[false dichotomy]] of "observational" (or "operational") versus "historical" science.<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|67-71}} AIG defines it as "Operational science uses observable, repeatable experiments to try to discover truth."<ref>[https://answersingenesis.org/what-is-science/ What Is Science?] Answers In Genesis</ref> 

This dichotomy does not exist in actual science, but even ignoring this fallacy, the Museum's "observational" science is problematic. Unlike actual natural history museums, the Creation Museum consists almost entirely of synthetic objects.<ref>[https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1192&context=commstudiespapers Genesis In Hyperreality: Legitimizing Disingenuous Controversy At The Creation Museum] by Case Ryan Kelly & Kristen E. Hoerl (2012) ''Argumentation and Advocacy'' 48:123-141.</ref><ref name=trollinger/> So, the beginning of the analysis, the [[evidence]], is mostly not real.

The analysis that is presented consists of large amounts of scientific facts, many not germane to an argument for or against YEC (e.g. the sizes of celestial bodies). At least one presented fact, that the M4 globular cluster is "40 million billion" miles away,<ref name=trollinger/>{{rp|73}} would cause a curious person some doubt about the validity of YEC. Conveniently for the Museum, they presented the distance in miles rather than the standard astronomical unit of [[light year]]s, which is 7200. This means to a scientist, that the light traveling from M4 has taken 1200 years longer to reach the Earth than YEC's proposed length of existence of the Universe of 6000 years. This is known as the [[starlight problem]], which YEC proponents have tried various unscientific tricks to explain away. Ken Ham claims to "love science"<ref name=trollinger/> but does not want to bother your little head with this problem.

Despite claiming that "observational" science is verifiable but historical science is not, the Museum relies heavily on historical models in the Flood Geology room to get its point across on the [[flood geology]] aspect of YEC (15 of 38 placards in the room).<ref name=trollinger/> Displays in the room reference events in the past that occurred in prehistoric times (e.g., floods and volcanic eruptions), which by Ham's own definition of observational science would not meet his criteria.<ref name=trollinger/>

Another logical fallacy is evident in the Flood Geology room. The fallacy comes from the Museum's reliance on [[presuppositionalism]];<ref name=trollinger/> a reliance is also evident in Ham's rewriting of the [[scientific method]] to fit his needs:<ref name=trollinger/>

{{quotebox|We can take what the Bible says about history and see if the evidence of the present does fit. If we take the book of Genesis, which is a detailed account of our origins, we can see what it says concerning how the world was created and what subsequently happened. We can decide what we would expect to find if the Bible is true (this is our worldview, or model, built on the creation account). Then we can look at the world to see if what we observe confirms the account of God's Word (and it does over and over again).<ref>''The Lie: Evolution'' (2012) Master Books, revised edition. ISBN 0890516863.</ref>}}

Presuppositionalism has led to the bastardization of the scientific method, and in turn has led to conscious [[confirmation bias]] in the Flood Geology room. For example, the Flood Geology room makes assumptions about post-Flood sediment deposition and crustal folding just because it is YEC, not because of evidence or "observational" science.<ref name=trollinger/>

The Museum's arguments for YEC also rely on [[Informal fallacy|informal fallacies]]: the [[argument from beauty]], the [[argument from design]], and the [[appeal to ancient wisdom]] (i.e. the Bible says so). These are particularly evident in The Stargazer's Planetarium and The Wonders of Creation Room.<ref name=trollinger/> So, even by the standards of "observational" science, the Creation Museum does not make anything close to a convincing case for YEC.

A basic problem with the Museum in rejecting "historical" science is that it is unable to unequivocally make claims about the past in support of YEC, therefore forcing a false dilemma: even if the Earth is not ~4 billion years old, that does not mean that the only other choice is YEC. Even just [[Creationism#Categories|within the realm of creationism, there are many competing views]].

==Creation Museum conspecifics==
[[File:Creation museum.jpg|thumb|The "museum".]]
{{cquote|I think they should rename the museum — not the Creation Museum, but the Confusion Museum … As a Christian, I was dismayed.|||Lisa E. Park, professor of paleontology<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/science/30muse.html?_r=1 Paleontology and Creationism Meet but Don’t Mesh] by Kenneth Chang (June 29, 2009) ''The New York Times''.</ref>}}
The Creation Museum is just the latest microevolutionary development in the creation museum ''[[baraminology|kind]]''. While no one has ever observed one creation museum ''kind'' giving birth to another creation museum ''kind'', there is plenty of variation within the kind (micro only, of course). The closest extant relative of Ken Ham's creation is the Creation & Earth History Museum<ref>[http://www.creationsd.org/ Creation & Earth History Museum]</ref> (formerly called the Museum of Creation<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Creation_and_Earth_History_Museum Creation and Earth History Museum] ''Creation Wiki''.</ref> and Earth History), endemic to [[California]], and created by the [[Institute for Creation Research]].

The Mount St Helens Creation Center (previously the 7 Wonders Creation Museum)<ref>[http://www.mshcreationcenter.org/ Mount St Helens Creation Center]</ref> occupies a completely different ecological niche. Located as a missionary somewhere near Mt. St. Helens this spacious double-wide trailer<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071007060505/http://www.nwcreation.net/7wonders/about.html About 7 Wonders] ''Northwest Creation Network''.</ref> offers guided tours of the monument to Creation by a loving [[God]] that all volcanoes represent, but particularly this one. For a mere $10 you can send your kids to a summer camp where they can learn all about how Noah's Ark dealt with lava.

Speaking of double-wide trailers, [[Patriot Bible University]] alumnus and federal 
prisoner
 ex-con [[Kent Hovind]] has been offering children of all ages an adventure of a lifetime at Dinosaur Adventure Land.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070224172855/http://www.dinosauradventureland.com Dinosaur Adventure Land] (archived from January 24, 2007)</ref> This Florida landmark has fallen upon tough times; it seems to have been built without a permit. But it is still up and running, and for your 
tax deductible donation
 gift of $7 all the wonders of Dr. Dino can be yours.

While Ken Ham is getting all the big press, another major "creation museum" opened in 2008. Big Valley Creation Science Museum<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070504193231/http://bvcsm.com/ Big Valley Creation Science Museum]</ref> up in [[Canada]] offers all the wonders one comes to expect from a converted garage and the 
expert
 consultancy of [[Ian Juby]].

As can be seen, there is a wide variety of trailers, garages, backyards, and abandoned warehouses vying for the money of Creation Science devotees. The question is whether Ken Ham's fully animated pumpkin-eating ''T. rex'' will be enough to overcome his competitors?

==Attendance==
[[File:Creation Museum - Triceratops Saddle.jpg|right|thumb|One of the Creation Museum's guests having the time of his life on the back of a triceratops statue.]]
By August 1st 2008, a little more than 500 days after opening, the Creation Museum announced it had admitted 500,000 visitors.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080815045858/http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2008/08/01/500000th-visitor-at-the-creation-museum/ 500,000th Visitor at the Creation Museum] August 1, 2008, ''Answers in Genesis'' (archived from August 16, 2008).</ref> In the same amount of time, Disneyland had almost 21 million (21,000,000) visitors, although this is in almost no way relevant.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080803025212/http://thedisneyblog.com/2008/03/14/disney-themepar/ Disney Themepark Attendance – The Numbers Game] by John Frost, March 14, 2008, ''The Disney Blog''.</ref> One month away from its third anniversary, the Creation Museum had its 1,000,000th guest.<ref name="one million visitors">[http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2010/04/26/millionth-guest-creation-museum "Millionth Guest Visits Creation Museum"] April 26th, 2010, ''Answers in Genesis''</ref> In response, President and Co-Founder Ken Ham, stated, "We are excited to welcome our one millionth guest today, and we are grateful that God continues to bless this ministry with such strong attendance in a challenging economy."<ref name="one million visitors"/> 

A 
never ending
 steadily reducing stream of [[Kool-Aid drinker|True Believers]] have been attending the theme park. Attendance fell steadily over its first four years of operation and dropped by 10% in 2012.<ref name="Stern">Stern, Mark Joseph.  "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140729042154/http://www.watoday.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/darwin-dinosaurs-and-the-devil-20130213-2eck1.html Darwin, dinosaurs and the devil.]" watoday.co.au, February 13, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150414012941/http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-26546-creation_museum_atte.html Creation Museum Attendance Drops for Fourth Straight Year] by James McNair, November 7, 2012, ''Cincinnati CityBeat''</ref> As of 2013 the Creation Museum was in financial trouble.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130628030345/http://deadstate.org/kentuckys-creation-museum-in-financial-trouble-due-to-declining-attendance-video/ Kentucky’s ‘Creation Museum’ in Financial Trouble Due to Declining Attendance (VIDEO)] by DeadState, June 25, 2013, ''DeadState''</ref> Still, there are plans to tempt visitors back by building extensions with even more 
silly junk
 religiously inspired "education material."<ref>[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/creation-museum-is-evolvi_n_705311 After Three Years Creation Museum Is Evolving (But Not In That Way)] by Dennis O'Connor, September 3, 2010, ''HuffPost''</ref> Many attendees are public school kids on school trips:

{{quotebox|...school groups get an “educational group rate” and only pay $12.95 per adult ticket (chaperones and students older than 13 years old) as long as the group includes 15 people. Also, “once the requirement of 15 tickets purchased has been reached, we will provide one complimentary chaperone general admission” (...) No matter how steep the discount, public schools can’t afford to miseducate our kids with religious [[pseudoscience]] like creationism.
<ref name=Slate2>[http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2016/04/public_schools_are_visiting_ken_ham_s_creation_museum.html A Day With Ken Ham] by Zack Kopplin, April 25, 2016, ''Slate''</ref>}}

The [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] warned school districts that school trips to the Creation Museum or to [[Ark Encounter]] are illegal due to [[separation of church and state]], but it is feared not all will heed the warning.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160711103902/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/08/atheist-group-warns-1000-public-school-districts-dont-plan-field-trips-to-ark-encounter/ Atheist Group Warns 1,000+ Public School Districts: Don’t Plan Field Trips to Ark Encounter] by Hemant Mehta, July 8th, 2016, ''Friendly Atheist''</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Entrance P4280288.jpg|Abandon all reason, ye who enter here.
File:AIG museum.jpg|The entrance
File:Adam P4280253.jpg|Penguin in the Garden of Eden
File:Creation Museum, Kentucky-3.jpg|I bet you didn't know that [[Eve]] wore clothing even before [[The Fall]].
File:Creation Museum children with dinosaur.jpg|Children coexisting with dinosaurs
File:Dinosaur P4280281.jpg|No, red blood cells were not found in a ''T. rex'' fossil.<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/41537-t-rex-soft-tissue.html Controversial T. Rex Soft Tissue Find Finally Explained] by Stephanie Pappas (November 26, 2013 07:01pm ET) ''Live Science''.</ref>
File:Noah P4280268.jpg|The shape of [[Ark Encounter|things to come]].
File:Creation Museum St George dragon display.jpg|I bet you also didn't know that {{wpl|Saint George and the Dragon}} was in the Bible.
File:15 23 1110 creation museum.jpg|The world was not safe back in the [[Examples of God personally killing people|days of smiting]] either.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Bill Nye debates Ken Ham]]
*[[Creation Evidence Museum]]
*[[Dinosaur Adventure Land]]
*[[Hell House]]
*[[Holy Land Experience]]
*[[The incontrovertible evidence of common descent]]

==External links/blogsnark==
The following are various reports on the Creation Museum, usually based on actual visits:
*[http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=121 John Scalzi at Whatever]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071228063135/http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2007/05/welcome_to_the_1.html Panda's Thumb]
*[http://www.flickr.com/photos/scalzi/sets/72157603091357751/ A photo guide] to the museum (by a blogger)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090813080232/http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/08/the_creation_museum_1.php Pharyngula] &mdash; following [[PZ Myers]] and a group who toured it in August 2009.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090831012732/http://www.secularstudents.org/node/2654 Secular Student Alliance visits the museum]
*[http://krishashok.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/kentucky-fried-creation "Kentucky Fried Creation"]
*The Buffalo Beast visits the Creation Museum in [http://archive.ph/TXicB "Let There Be Retards"]
*The Thinking Atheist visits it as well and describes his top 10 lessons learned [https://web.archive.org/web/20121025044823/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IacAn3gQiY4 here].
*[https://rightingamerica.net/ Righting America at the Creation Museum]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|3|80%}}

{{crebox}}

[[Category:Answers in Genesis]]
[[Category:Creationism]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]

Categories: Answers in Genesis, Creationism, Dinosaurs, Pseudoscience