We recently wrote Ticket Sales for Hambo’s Ark — September 2018, in which we said that based on information attained through the Kentucky Open Records Act (KORA) about the safety tax of $.50 (fifty cents) paid to the City of Williamstown for each ticket sold, the paid attendance at Ark Encounter was down almost 17% from the prior year.
The press reported about it too, based on the same information. We knew there would be a reaction from Ken Ham (ol’ Hambo), the ayatollah of Appalachia, and now we have it. He just posted this at the website of Answers in Genesis (AIG), his creationist ministry: Media Bias—Again! Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis, and occasional Curmudgeonly interjections that look [like this]:
There are times I just get so tired of the secular media’s bias against Christians! Actually, what the secular media does a lot in politics (spread misinformation) has been done against Answers in Genesis, the Creation Museum, and Ark for many years. Take this latest article about supposed Ark attendance republished by the The Cincinnati Enquirer (see photo):
Hambo provides an unreadable pic of the newspaper’s article, but no link. We couldn’t find it at the newspaper’s website, but it doesn’t matter. Hambo is furious, and he says:
The paper did not talk to me as CEO (or, as far as I know, never asked to talk to me) before printing this misleading and erroneous attack piece against the Ark.
They didn’t need to talk to Hambo. They had the actual attendance figures that he had been reporting. But Hambo has several more objections, and here they come:
Ark attendance was actually up for the second year of operation. [Really?] This article was previously published in another Kentucky secular paper (Lexington Herald-Leader) in October when we still had nine months to go to calculate the overall attendance for the third year!
We found that article: Ark Encounter has been ‘very busy,’ founder says. Admission numbers show decline. It’s based on the same information we wrote about. Hambo’s rant isn’t over yet. He tells us:
The “safety tax” that the city of Williamstown imposed on the Ark cannot be used as a basis for calculating an accurate attendance count, as they have done.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! He’s probably thinking of the excuse he’s given before about people with lifetime passes who don’t pay for tickets each time they visit, and toddlers who get in free with their parents. But there’s still a 17% drop in paid attendance. The rant continues:
The ultimate source for this article is not AiG but local atheists who have continued to voice their disdain/hatred against the Ark (and Creation Museum) and do all they can to spread misinformation in their failed attempts to undermine the phenomenal success of the Ark and Museum attractions.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! But he doesn’t dispute the safety tax he paid, which is the basis for the articles. Let’s read on:
Such an attack piece is misguided [But is it accurate?] in that it does not hurt the Ark but it can hurt the city of Williamstown. I could understand if, after reading this, commercial developers become skittish about developing hospitality venues (which are sorely needed) in Williamstown.
But commercial developers need accurate information before they invest in what might be a sinking ship (so to speak). Hambo’s next paragraph, that faith-based tourism is booming in Northern Kentucky, is irrelevant to the Ark’s ticket sales, so we’ll skip it. Now we come to the end:
Yes, I know, we should be used to this as Christians! However, there are times when I, once again, warn people about trusting anything published in secular newspapers. Think about it — if this publication gets it so wrong about the Ark in this article, does that not warn us that all their articles are probably error-prone to one degree or another? It’s disappointing that our local media (The Cincinnati Enquirer) would stoop to this level — but they’ve done it before, and sadly I suspect they will do it again.
So there you are. We have one question: Hey, Hambo — if the press got it all wrong, then give us the correct information. What were the ark’s paid attendance figures for September, compared to the same period last year?
Copyright © 2018. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Poor persecuted Christians. They can’t do a damn thing without the accursed Evilutionist Secular Heathans that run this country nailing them to a cross! I can understand such feelings since they are forced to remain underground and hide all their activities in order to prevent them from being hauled off to jail or worse. After all, can you name one, just one, actively practicing Christian in political power or one Church openly proclaiming their Good News In this Godless land? What is America coming to?
Ken Ham rug-chewing upset about fact-based data on Ark Encounter ticket sales
He is frothing at the mouth on this one. Apparently the Cincinnati paper reprinted the Lexington Herald-Leader story on ticket sales at the Ark for September 2018 being down almost 17% from September 2017. Previously he claimed attendance was vastly greater than ticket sales because children under 5 get in free and that lots of lifetime members have free tickets. This time he doesn’t give any data, he just whines. It is a bit sad that Ham is so upset, but he doesn’t provide ANY real data. Poor, poor Ken Ham. Instead of acknowledging evidence, he doubles down and blames it all on bias against Christians. Ham is copying the Trump playbook by blaming the media and the opposition for all his pitiful failures. If the ticket sales for October 2018 are higher than October 2017, I will forward this information to my list (which includes many Christians and pro-sciences advocates, as well as atheists). Dan Phelps
https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2018/11/02/media-bias-again/
Ah, the crooked, evil press! Sounds like a page straight out of Trump’s playbook.
Does Ken plan to pay the tax on all those uncounted visitors? The point is to provide emergency services – so Ken is saying those services are underfunded?
Bwahahaha
We’re laughing at you Ken. You and your fake “creation scientists” and your feeble attempt at lying to perpetuate a Bronze Age myth.
Information/knowledge is your biggest nightmare, and it’s everywhere
Ham’s Ark is sailing on an income stream, but whether it continues to do so depends on his current account. One thing’s for sure, though. He’s cruising on denial.
Poor old, Ken. If there was ever a better time and place to refute/debunk this ugly aethist misinformation, then wouldn’t you think Ken’s blog post would be it. To paraphrase Shakespeare, “the man doth protest to much, methinks”.
Say, is Rudy back from Romania yet? I reckon he could be on to a real paying gig at AIG. Although…. Ken might balk at “truth isn’t truth”.
I think it’s reasonable to assume that children under 5 come under supervision of their parents, who do pay a ticket. I’ll also assume the average number of children per household does not vary much over a short timespan, nor the ratio of families vs. individuals visiting the Ark.
If that holds true, the absolute number of tickets may be skewed, but the relative numbers compared to last year(s) do stand up. 10% fall in tickets is 10% fall in visitors.
Of course that does’t work for lifetime pass holders, but how many of those can we expect? Some locals perhaps?
Poor persecuted Hambo. The narrative of persecution is a great draw apparently . Along with climate change conspiracy and evolution conspiracy theory stories. As pointed out here by SC, science deniers are motivated by this scam.
Williamstown Kentucky. Future site of the Ken Ham ark firewood and relic emporium. Bring home your very own piece of the ark and load up on firewood all at the same time !
If Ken knew anything about museums he would know that it is perfectly normal for attendance to fall in the second year, sometimes significantly. He should have planned for that.
It would be so much easier for Ken to simply respond that a reduction is expected in the second year, but that he forecasts that it will stabilize and grow in future years. Unfortunately Hambo cannot admit that he is ever wrong, so he has to lash out against the “fake media.” Reminds me of someone else with that problem.
It seems to me that the “safety tax” should apply to everyone who attends the Ark Farce whether they buy a ticket or not. So, Old Hambo owes the city even more in “safety tax.” Pay up, Hambo!
Good point. Something should be done to meet the potential liabiity of the government. If the actual number of people is significally greater than the number of paid tickets, the need for emerency services is not betng met.
The last 990 for Crosswater Canyon has program service revenue going from zero to $32,606,246
It is costing them 1.3 million just for the buses they lease.
Hambo is of course being insincere at best and possibly a pants-on-fire liar. He knows his attendance and could release it. By acting as a victim he can obfuscate the real numbers that are closer to the ticket tax numbers and still get some pretend umbrage to boot.