The highly popular Christmas festivities at the Creation Museum— Christmas Town—are returning this year with new additions, and once again featuring its centerpiece: a live Nativity.
New for 2015 at this free event: even more colorful lights (tens of thousands total) will be placed on the scenic property for guests to enjoy as they walk the pathways around the museum’s lake. In addition, there are now more Christmas shopping possibilities, including one that benefits an international charity.
Attracting up to 25,000 people each season who drive an average of 132 miles one way, Christmas Town this year will be held most Friday and Saturday evenings in December, plus Monday, December 28. The dates are December 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 26 and 28. The museum will be closed Christmas Day, which is a Friday.
Museum founder and president Ken Ham will join recording artist Buddy Davis and several other special guests each Christmas Town day from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. for a new, free program. They will hold a fun, musical teaching event packed with memorable moments the entire family is sure to enjoy, including a visit from Rexy – the museum’s dinosaur mascot – and the biblical character of Noah.
Visitors can then walk outside to enjoy the lights as it begins to get dark after 5:15 p.m.
Also new this year is the addition of fair trade shopping. Christmas Town visitors will have access to an area set aside for fair trade vendors.
Handcrafted items including scarves, jewelry, bags and purses, ornaments, baskets, paper products (stationary, journals, and so on), and some kitchen items (wooden spoons, pot holders from Africa) will be available ranging in price from $5-$30. Fair trade signifies a buying relationship that creates an opportunity for economically disadvantaged artisans in the developing world by providing a sustainable market for their handcrafted products. The museum is happy to partner with vendors who share its mission to spread the gospel.
With the added attractions, museum officials expect to break the previous attendance record (weather permitting).
The free Christmas Town celebration has become a favorite annual tradition for families in the Tri-State and beyond. To handle the expected crowds this year, a new walking route has been created through the brilliantly lit grounds to keep the lines moving, even on the busiest evenings.
For the third year, Christmas Town guests will have the opportunity to experience the popular zip line over the museum’s beautiful three-acre lake, and soar over what many guests say is the most spectacular Christmas light show in the area. There is a $29 charge for the zip line.
The Creation Museum is located in Petersburg, Kentucky, at exit 11 off Interstate 275, two exits west of the Cincinnati Airport. Guests traveling from the west are advised to allow additional time, due to construction on the Carrol Cropper Bridge on the interstate
The museum’s acclaimed planetarium will present its special ticketed program, “The Christmas Star,” about the mysterious star in the east that heralded the birth of Jesus and guided the wise men.
Noah’s Café will serve a turkey dinner, and will also offer an assortment of other festive food and drinks for sale.
“While Christmas Town will be a fun, highly visual experience for families, it is also a time to reflect on the greatest gift ever given to us: the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, who was the Babe in the manger,” Ham said. “Christmas Town at the Creation Museum is our way to say ‘thank you’ to our community for its support and to offer families a free gift at Christmas—complimentary admission to Christmas Town.”
Christmas Town is open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, with the prelude featuring Ken Ham, Buddy Davis and friends, beginning at 4 p.m. All the outdoor activities (except for the camel rides and zip line) are free. Inside, museum admission on Christmas Town days is $5 after 5 p.m. (last entry is at 8 p.m.)
The 4 p.m. Christmas program in Legacy Hall does not require a museum ticket to enter and is free to all (seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so early arrival is recommended). A free Christmas booklet will be given to each family, and children will receive a complimentary Christmas coloring book, while supplies last.
For more information about all of the special Christmas events, plus details on purchasing tickets for the zip line, planetarium programs, and discounted Creation Museum admission during Christmas Town, click here or call (888) 582-4253.
The Creation Museum is an outreach of the apologetics organization Answers in Genesis.
Answers in Genesis