Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the Netherlands Dordrecht Johan's Ark
Johan's Ark is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

AO Edited

Johan's Ark

“And the Lord said unto Johan, build for thee an ark for the end of the world is approaching.”

Dordrecht, Netherlands

Added By
Mordy
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Johan’s Ark   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
Johan’s Ark   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
Johan’s Ark   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
Theatre of the Ark   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
A little modern help   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
Inhabitant of the Ark   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
“Two of every animal”   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
Johan’s Ark   http://www.arcofnoah.org/
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Twenty years ago, Johan Huibers dreamt about a gargantuan storm that brought the wrath of the ocean onto The Netherlands. The Dutch carpenter interpreted this, along with other signs, as a message to build a replica of the mythical ark that delivered humanity from a great deluge over 4,000 years ago.   

As with most projects of epic proportions, Huibers started off small. Working with only a few devoted volunteers, he constructed his first model of the ark. This ‘miniature’ was 70 meters long, 9 meters wide, and 13 meters high. The ark sailed around The Netherlands, opening its doors to over 600,000 visitors. With one ark under his belt, Huibers set to work on his original undertaking: An accurate full-size replica of the original vessel.

The Bible doesn’t record how long it took Noah, but he probably wasn’t as efficient as Huiber and his team who finished in a little over three years. Constructed using the exact dimensions detailed in the Bible, the massive naval structure is 135 meters long, 30 meters wide, and 23 meters high. A trip on Johan’s ark would be slightly more luxurious than the original as it sports a cinema, two amphitheaters, and a restaurant. The wildlife is less wild as well, as the ark features a menagerie of fake plastic animals such as cows and giraffes. The only live animals on the ship are in the petting zoo which lets visitors interact with some of God's more docile creatures such as dogs, ponies, and sheep. Johan's ark strives to animate the story of Noah through a variety of films, presentations, paintings, and games, rather than a full-blown zoo.

Despite recent predictions of global warming and rising sea levels, Huibers has no intention of becoming the second human in history to survive a catastrophic flood. He built the ark rather to remind people that “there is a God who loves us, and that He has a plan for our lives.”

 

Related Tags

Water Places To Stay

Community Contributors

Added By

Mordy

Published

August 7, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/dutchman-completes-20-year-quest-build-full-scale-noah-ark-article-1.1217581
Johan's Ark
Dordrecht, 3313 CR
Netherlands
51.9039, 4.5775
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Trompenburg Arboretum

Rotterdam, Netherlands

miles away

Windmills of Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

miles away

De Hef

Rotterdam, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 348
Stories 20

Nearby Places

Trompenburg Arboretum

Rotterdam, Netherlands

miles away

Windmills of Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

miles away

De Hef

Rotterdam, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 348
Stories 20

Related Places

  • Lava Hot Springs, circa 1950

    Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

    Lava Hot Springs Inn

    A former sanitarium where soldiers were sent to recover in the healing waters of hot springs.

  • Interior and views.

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    The Lookout-Rubha Hunish

    A former coastal watch post has been turned into a bothy with unrivaled views of the sea and its inhabitants.

  • Kapishya Hot Springs.

    Chinsali, Zambia

    Kapishya Hot Springs

    A secluded natural oasis hidden deep along a rainforest trail.

  • The old Pillsbury A-Mill building.

    Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Pillsbury A-Mill

    This old residential building was once the largest flour mill in the world.

  • Yavari in Puno, 2015.

    Qullaw pruwinsya, Peru

    Steamship Yavari

    The 19th-century vessel floats proudly on Lake Titicaca, but its journey from Britain to the Peruvian altiplano was far from smooth sailing.

  • The rose garden.

    Panajachel, Guatemala

    Atitlan Antique Rose Garden

    A collection of heirloom roses tucked in a spectacularly beautiful botanical garden on Lake Atitlan.

  • The Utter Inn on a frozen lake.

    Västerås, Sweden

    Utter Inn

    A floating underwater hotel, created by a Swedish artist.

  • The Arlington Hotel

    Hot Springs, Arkansas

    The Arlington Hotel

    This historic hotel on Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park has a storied history of gangsters and baseball greats.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.