Bethlehem’s Blessing: Christmas at the Creation Museum
By Jim Day

While you might wonder what the Book of Genesis and Christmas have to do with each other, the Creation Museum outside Cincinnati has combined the two in a way that presents the wonders the two have in common.

“Christmas is about hope and faith and love, and the fulfillment of God’s plan for humanity,” said Creation Museum co-founder and spokesperson Mark Looy. “The created world is God’s backdrop for this amazing story of redemption and relationship. We find the two – Creation and Christmas – go very well together, and we invite our guests to experience each in light of the other at our special Bethlehem’s Blessings – A Christmas Celebration this December.”

“In addition, the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Creator, and we make this clear in many of our exhibits, culminating with our stirring film, The Last Adam,” Looy added. “The story reveals Christ’s purpose in coming, as the sacrificial Lamb of God. Guests are usually pleasantly surprised that the museum presents the whole gospel, not just the Old Testament book of Genesis.”

The centerpiece of the museum’s Bethlehem’s Blessings presentation is a live outdoor nativity scene, featuring human actors in each of the Christmas story roles, and of course sheep, donkeys, and camels – all the usual animals present during the birth of the Christ child – courtesy of the museum’s own petting zoo. Museum staff and volunteers will alternate as Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, and caravan traders. A special lighted trail, The Road to Bethlehem, will feature a glimpse of the first Christmas in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.

Because the live nativity is an outdoor exhibit (from 2 p.m. to closing, December 12th through January 4th, except Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day), guests can experience Bethlehem’s Blessings for free and not pay admission to visit the museum building. The museum itself will remain open late during the season until 8 p.m. on December 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 31st, and January 2nd and 4th.

Visitors to the museum grounds will also enjoy hayrides, seasonal lights, decorations, holiday food, and fun events and activities for children. Special Christmas exhibits inside the museum (tickets required) will include the Planetarium presentation, The Bethlehem Star.

As a Christmas gift to the community and to remind everyone of the wonderful free gift of salvation through Christ (who was the Baby in the Bethlehem manger), the museum will be open to the public for free on Christmas Eve, December 24th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Normally a $21.95 value for adults, $16.95 for seniors and $11.95 for children, this includes all of the inside exhibits, the Men in White film at the Special Effects Theater, The Last Adam film, the Dragon Theater featuring legends of dragons and dinosaurs, plus the popular planetarium program The Christmas Star (limited seating in the planetarium; on a first-come basis). Because of the short day, there will be no nativity on the 24th.

“This free gift to the community on the 24th is one way of saying ‘thank you’ to those who have been so supportive of the Creation Museum,” Looy said. “We would love to see as many of our Tri-state neighbors here as possible.”

The Bethlehem’s Blessings festivities get under way on December 12th, with a chance for the media to get an advance preview on December 11th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The live nativity will run from 2 p.m. until closing (except on the 24th and 25th) and the seasonal light displays will begin at dusk each day.

The Creation Museum, located near the Cincinnati Airport, is a ministry of Answers in Genesis, a nonprofit Christian organization dedicated to confirming the validity of the Bible from the very first verse. Since its opening in May 2007, the museum has seen 590,000 visitors, way above anticipated crowds of 250,000 for the first year. The usual museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays; and 12 p.m. (noon) to 6 p.m. on Sundays, except for the special days mentioned in this article when the museum will remain open until 8 p.m.