By Kenzi Knapp

Are you mining creation museums for all they are worth? As a tour guide at the Creation Experience Museum of Branson, Missouri, I’ve watched parental forethought make the difference between children who go home with their education increased and those who forget the last exhibit before the door closes behind them. This distinction has led me to ask: What can parents do before visiting a creation museum so their children not only mature in knowledge, but trust in God’s preserved Word?

Capitalize On Key Interests

We remember what inspires us. And what inspires us more than learning about what we love? Like all museums, our tours have to give an aerial view simply because we don’t have time to cover it all. But while gliding over fossils, marine life or dinosaurs, I’m watching for that glint of light in a child’s eyes. Once I catch that spark, I begin linking the rest of the tour to this child’s interest; it becomes the sugar that makes the medicine go down.

As the parent, you have the ability to build anticipation before your child even fastens his seat belt. If your daughter is fascinated with DNA, you will get a lot more interest by explaining, “This museum will tell us more about biology and how different kinds of creatures relate to the Bible,” as opposed to saying, “Let’s go see this cool museum.” Make it a personal pursuit of discovery, one that will increase the equity she is building in an area of passion because her knowledge of that passion has increased through visiting a creation museum.

Call Ahead

While the vast majority of our tours are given to Branson tourists making a spontaneous stop, there is gold to be struck when you call and speak with us for just a few moments before visiting. Great questions include:

“My son loves marine fossils. Does your museum have information on marine fossils?” (To which the answer is, yes!)

“We would love to take our time learning. When would be a slower time of day for a tour?”

“Can you recommend any resources that would help us learn more about what is in your museum before we visit?”

BRING Your Questions!

Nothing delights me more than kids asking questions about an area they’re passionate about. Asking questions also cues me in as a tour guide to what will interest a family most later in the tour. So brainstorm. Write down every question. Prepare to document the answers. Ask if you can record the answers via audio, take photos or bring the ever faithful pad and pen to take notes.

Creation museums exist to showcase the reliability of God’s Word in every area it speaks to – including science. If a creation museum features into your summer plans, then identifying interests, calling ahead and flexing your questions will enable you to squeeze the most out of your visit.

10 Creation Museums Across America

Creation and Earth History Museum
Where: Santee, California
Parent Organization: Light and Life Foundation, formerly Institute For Creation Research

Discovery Center Creation Emporium
Where: Abilene, Texas

Creation Experience Museum
Where: Branson, Missouri
Parent Organization: Creation Ministries of the Ozarks

Creation Museum And Family Discovery Center
Where: Petersburg, Kentucky
Parent Organization: Answers In Genesis

Wonders Of Creation Center
Where: Lewisburg, Tennessee
Parent Organization: David Rives Ministries

Creation Discovery Museum
Where: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Creation Evidence Museum
Where: Glen Rose, Texas

Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum
Where: Lubbock, Texas

Northwest Science Museum
Where: Nampa, Idaho

The Dinosaur Encounter
Where: Bridgton, Maine

Mount St. Helens Creation Center
Where: Mount St. Helens, Silver Lake, Washington

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A follower of Jesus Christ, Kenzi is blessed to serve her Lord in the gorgeous Missouri Ozarks. In addition to serving as a tour guide at the Creation Experience Museum in Branson, Kenzi delights in time with her family, poodles and homestead critters. A freelance writer, researcher, and proofreader, she invites you to sit a spell at Kindred Scripts, for more about her writing and discoveries from history.

3 Ways to Get the Most From Visiting a Creation Museum