Faith-Filled Family Vacations

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One fun-filled way to grow your kids in their relationship with God is to take them on faith-filled family vacations. From Bible museums to mission trips to faith-themed parks, there are several great options to choose from. Our family has had the opportunity to experience several of these faith-inspiring vacations. I have also researched other faith-filled opportunities to discover the benefits of each. Below is a well-researched list to inspire you to make your next family vacation full of God-honoring faith and fun!

DollyWood Theme Park

While not overtly Christian, DollyWood Theme Park, located in the gorgeous Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, has a lot of Christian undertones that have been influenced by Dolly Parton’s own Christian faith. Our family has not been to this theme park yet, however I have heard great things from other Christian families about how it is a very wholesome, family friendly place to vacation. One thing that I love about this theme park is that it has its very own chapel that holds Christian non-denominational church services every Sunday. This is a nice option for families who happen to be there on a Sunday, so they can enjoy a unique community worship service during their vacation. Many of the musical performances at the Dollywood park feature gospel music that shares the hope of Jesus with everyone who stops to listen. Dollywood also houses Rock the Smokies, a yearly event that hosts contemporary Christian artists for an amazing Christian concert in the middle of the Smoky Mountains. You can also find plenty of Christian-themed merchandise, such as t-shirts sold at the gift shops in DollyWood. To learn more about this wholesome theme park, visit https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/.

The Great Passion Play, Holy Land Tour, Bible Museum, & Christ of the Ozarks Statue

Nestled in Eureka Springs, Arkansas are several Jesus-focused attractions to consider visiting with your family.

The Great Passion Play is the most-attended outdoor drama in America and shares the story of Jesus’ last days on earth with a cast of over 150 actors, many exotic animals, and a live orchestra. Attendees enjoy a memorable portrayal of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” under the stars.

The Holy Land Tour is performed on the same days as The Great Passion Play and takes visitors by bus to replicas of some of the most common sites in the Bible to experience what life was like in Bible times and hear testimonies from some of the pillars of our faith. Some of these stops include the tabernacle with Moses, a first century stable, and the upper room where Jesus had the Last Supper. There is a virtual reality tour available as well.

The Bible Museum contains over 6,000 Bibles written in more than 600 different languages. Admission is free with a Holy Land Tour pass or Great Passion Play pass. There is also an attraction called The Tabernacle Teaching, where you and your family will learn all about God’s holy tabernacle in the Old Testament.

Finally, you will want to see the famous Christ of the Ozarks, a seven-story monument to Christ on the premises as well. It is made with 24 layers of mortar and weighs over two million pounds.

If you would like your family to be a part of a mission trip, they have opportunities to serve behind the scenes as well.

To find out more about these Christ-honoring attractions, visit The Great Passion Play website for the current schedule and cost.

The Bible Walk

The BibleWalk is located in Mansfield, Ohio, and features over 325 Bible character wax figures in Biblical scenes. Visitors can walk through one or more of seven tours, including The Life of Christ and the Kingdom of Godas well as 9 different exhibits, including the Ten Commandments, Paul’s Journeys, and The Nativity. One of the highlights of Biblewalk is the interactive nature of the tours. Visitors can press buttons that trigger sound effects and dialogue, such as the sounds of the sea parting as the Israelites escape from Egypt. There is also a dinner theater presentation of the gospel story on certain nights throughout the year. The BibleWalk was built by the congregants of the adjacent nondenominational Diamond Hill Cathedral. They created all of the backgrounds, props, and costumes for each scene, making sure that each detail was authentic and accurate to God’s Word. For more information and ticket prices, visit www.biblewalk.us.

The Museum of the Bible

Located in Washington DC, the Museum of the Bible was created and developed by the Green family, also known as the “Hobby Lobby Family” to share the history and impact of the Bible with all those who visit. Steve Green discovered a love for collecting Bible artifacts, such as manuscripts and ancient Bibles, which led him to the idea of creating a Bible museum. He purchased a space in Washington DC in 2012, and now his museum has grown to have one of the world’s largest collections of ancient artifacts from Biblical history and attracted over half a million visitors in the first six months of opening in 2017.

Our family had the opportunity to visit this magnificent museum while taking a trip to Washington DC to tour our nation’s capital, and we were highly impressed. There are several floors of engaging activities and exhibits to discover. One of our favorite exhibits was the Stories of the Bible. As you walk through the stories of both the Old and New Testament, you are immersed in accounts of how the heroes of the Bible trusted God in faith and saw His promises unfold. With a combination of wrapped screens and special effects, God’s story comes alive in a fresh new way.

Other exhibits we enjoyed include Bible in America, Bible in the World, History of the Bible, Artifacts from the Middle East, and A Look at the Bible Translation Process Around the World.

Our kids really enjoyed one of the more thrilling attraction called Washington Revelations where you fly over Washington DC through a wrap-around screen to discover all the places where Scripture is present near historical memorials.

This museum will take you a full day to get through if you want to see everything, but it’s definitely worth it. The Museum of the Bible will inspire families to love God’s Word and see how impactful it has been, not only to individuals, but to our country and our world as well. For more information and ticket prices, visit https://www.museumofthebible.org/.

The Creation Museum

The Creation Museum, located in Petersburg, Kentucky, was created in 2007 by Answers in Genesis founder, Ken Ham to help people understand how God’s Word is the basis and foundation for everything in life and how it surpasses all of man’s knowledge and assumptions. There are close to 150 exhibits with life-sized animated animals and Bible heroes sharing stories from God’s Word.

One of our favorite exhibits was the Journey Through the Senses, which takes you through animated scenes of creation, the fall, the flood, and onto the hope of the Gospel and how everything fits together in God’s perfect plan. We enjoyed watching the story of the flood in the 4D theater and the planetarium exhibit helped us understand how big our universe really is. Well known Christian artists often perform live concerts at the park. Because The Ark is right next door, it’s the perfect vacation spot to spend several days exploring God’s Word together. Our whole family thoroughly enjoyed our experience, and we definitely recommend this museum for families with kids of all ages. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://creationmuseum.org/.

The Ark Encounter

The Ark Encounter, the sister museum to the Creation Museum, was also created by Answers in Genesis founder, Ken Ham, and opened in 2016. Ken Ham not only wanted to bring the magnificent ark to life for people to walk through, but he wanted to help answer people’s questions about the infamous account of the flood, and how it was even possible for all the animals to fit inside the boat.

Built to the exact dimensions recorded in the Bible and becoming the largest timber structure in the world, it is truly a sight to see and explore. It took us literally hours to walk through the entire structure to catch all the exhibits and the wealth of information presented. We learned what life would have been like during the time of the flood and how Noah and his family would have made life work caring for so many animals inside a boat. The exhibits displayed realistic, life-size replicas of Noah and his family and the various types of animals thought to be on earth at that time. There were a lot of videos and graphics to help us understand more about the flood and the science behind it all. The most fascinating information we learned was how animals back then may have been a bit different from today, and only one pair of each “kind” was needed to fit on the boat. Larger animals, such as giraffes and dinosaurs would most likely come into the ark as babies in order to fit.

Other exhibits we enjoyed at the Ark Encounter were the zoo, where our kids got to pet a kangaroo and the Fearfully and Wonderfully Made Exhibit that helps you understand the humanity of a baby from conception and the amazing miracle of its development up to birth. The kids especially enjoyed the virtual reality attraction that takes you back in time to the flood and shares the gospel at the end. I definitely recommend the Ark Encounter for children of all ages. We also heard rumors that Answers in Genesisis planning to make a replica of the Jerusalem temple and other historic Biblical sites in the future! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://arkencounter.com/.

Coordinate a Local Mission Project with Your Family Vacation

Look into local mission organizations, orphanages, or ministries that your family may be able to partner with on your next family vacation. This could be anything from a local food or clothing pantry in Orlando while visiting Disney World to a Christian-based orphanage when spending a week at the beach in Cancun. This year our family, along with some family friends, are coordinating an orphanage visit during our trip to Machu Picchu in Peru. We are looking forward to sharing a Bible message for the children and having our kids share their talents of dance, martial arts, and drawing with the children at the orphanage. We hope and pray that not only will our families have an enjoyable vacation and make new memories together, but God will use this opportunity to help us better appreciate all we have and grow in our desire to share the love of Jesus with those in need.

While any family vacation is a great way to build memories and grow in family togetherness, choosing destinations that will boost your family’s faith or provide ways to love those in need will also reap an extra spiritual benefit that will impact your children for years to come. For a Family Vacation Devotional to keep God first on your vacation, wherever that may be, click here.

For more great discipleship resources to take on your road trip, click here.

For some great Christian chapter books to take on your road trip, click here.

Raising Our Children to Know and Love God, Reflect His Character, and Share His Love With Others