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.
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The mother-in-law/master suite was the highlight for me. It was a nice retreat from the kids and offered some much needed privacy. The king size bed in the master suite was wonderful for a snuggly family movie night when it was cold and rainy outside. Each person had their own bed and no one had to share! There were heaters in every room which were utilized and appreciated. The owners were incredibly responsive and even brought us a new remote for the TV that was missing so we could enjoy family movie night in the king size bed. The back yard patio area is stunning and I was heartbroken that I wasn't able to enjoy it more because of the rain and low temperatures. The house is in a very walkable area and in walking distance to food, Starbucks and a Kroger (although you would probably drive to the Kroger).
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Clean and like how the pictures described it to be. Host was very good with communication and responded quickly to any questions we had.
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Lindo lugar, casa comodisima, muy a gusto
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