Museum Content

Museum Content

The AON Museum is a new beginning for Christian-themed attractions. Its size and scale make it more than a Bible museum. It will be a truly immersive, visceral experience that literally puts visitors in the midst of the Noah’s Ark story as well as the earth’s true history. It’s these sorts of experiences that have made theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios such big hits with guests worldwide. People don’t just want to hear stories and history; they want it to come alive for them. They want to be a part of the story. The reality is that visitors – Christian or not – expect a little entertainment value and to be engaged. For Christian-themed attractions that can be a delicate but necessary formula.

The Museum will have 3 floors of exhibits. The first floor will feature the Biblical history of the world/universe. The second floor will focus on the anthropology, paleontology, geology, and the biodiversity of the local state, region, or nation where the museum is located. The third floor will feature an auditorium, planetarium, ice age animals and world artifacts, rocks, fossils and animals.

The following information discusses the exhibits that will be housed in the Museum. As an example the exhibits listed below would be from the Museum located in Cancun and show items from Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula and then all of Mexico. Remember, the second floor would be unique to each location.

First Floor

The first floor will consist of the entrance to Museum where the visitor will purchase their ticket. This entrance will also have a few impressive dinosaur displays that will fascinate the visitor. The following is a partial list of displays to be found on the first floor:

Creation Week – Each day of creation week will have a room with displays explaining what occurred on that day.

Day 1. In the Beginning, God Created… this exhibit would explain how the universe was created through plasma physics.

Day 2. Formation of the earth’s atmosphere… how it was created and what the atmosphere was composed of.

Day 3. How dry land formed and the first life appeared; grass, herb, trees.

Day 4. Formation of the sun, moon, stars and all other objects in space.

Day 5. Creation of life in the oceans and birds

Day 6. Creation of land animals; cattle, creeping things, beasts of the earth including dinosaurs. And the culmination of God’s creative work: Man.

Day 7. Rested from creation, it was done.

Garden of Eden – Garden of Eden was, according to the Bible, the earthly paradise inhabited by the first created man and woman, Adam and Eve, prior to their expulsion for disobeying the commandment of God. The introduction of sin into the world. The effects of the curse and what it means for us today.

The Genesis Flood – This would include exhibits that explain the Flood of Noah’s day (2348 BC). The Flood was a year-long global catastrophe that destroyed the pre-Flood world, reshaped the continents, buried billions of creatures that became fossils, and laid down the rock layers. It was God’s judgment on man’s wickedness and only eight righteous people, and representatives of every kind of land animal, were spared aboard the Ark. Displays while highlight how fossils form and evidence for the rapid and recent formation of the fossil record

Tower of Babel – There are over 6,900 spoken languages around the globe today. How did human beings develop so many languages? The Bible provides an explanation for this—all the way back in Genesis 11 with the Tower of Babel. What God did at the Tower of Babel has powerful implications for understanding cross-cultural communication. So, to understand modern language diversity, it’s important to understand what actually happened at the Tower of Babel. Modern scholars have associated the Tower of Babel with known structures, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to the Mesopotamian god Marduk in Babylon. The link of the tower of Babel to pyramid structure in Mexico will be also be explored.

Dispersion of Man – Genesis 11 records the account of the Tower of Babel, which took place shortly after the Flood. About 100 years or more after Noah and his family exited the Ark, people began migrating from the east of where Noah’s farm was and settled in what the Bible calls “the land of Shinar.”

At that point, the people had the idea to build a city and, with it, a tower “with its top in the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). This may not seem sinister at first glance, but God knew their motives were steeped in pride and had potential for tyranny. The people also said, “And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the earth” (Genesis 11:4). All this was done in defiance of God’s command to Noah and his descendants to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1).

So, God confused the people’s languages, causing them to scatter across the earth and abandon their project of building a city. This is important to understand the implications of this scattering. It is the reason there are so many pyramidal structures all over the earth. Exhibits will explain this phenomenon.

History of the World Timeline – Two timelines will be displayed: one based on evolution and one based on the Biblical account. Visitors will be able to see the difference between the two philosophies.

The life of Jesus Christ – The life, death and resurrection of probably the most controversial person in the history of man will be examined and described.

Second Floor

The second floor will highlight areas of science that are of special importance to Cancun, Quintana Roo, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Mexico as a whole. The following is a partial list of displays to be found on the second floor:

Eve of Naharon – Her importance to the Mexican people/world will be discussed. Eve of Naharon is the skeleton of a 20– to 25-year-old human Mayan female found in the Naharon section of the underwater cave Sistema Naranjal in Mexico near the town of Tulum. The skeleton is carbon dated by the secular scientists at 13,600 years ago, which makes it one of the oldest documented human finds in the Americas. What makes her significant is what is inferred about the peopling of the Americas based on her facial reconstruction. Her facial features are said to indicate a southeast Asian origin, perhaps in Indonesia, rather than the more orthodox northeast Asian origin that features centrally in the canonical story of first inhabitants of the Americas striding across the Bering land bridge. Displays will also focus on the assumptions involved in carbon dating and why this method of determining the age of artifacts give erroneously old dates.

Archeology of the Mayans – The Classic Maya built many of their temples and palaces in a stepped pyramid shape, decorating them with elaborate reliefs and inscriptions. These structures have earned the Maya their reputation as the great artists of Mesoamerica. Guided by their religious ritual, the Maya also made significant advances in mathematics and astronomy, including the use of the zero and the development of complex calendar systems like the Calendar Round, based on 365 days, and later, the Long Count Calendar, designed to last over 5,000 years.

Sistema Ox Bel Ha and Cenotes – Geology and model exhibit. The Ox Bel Ha system, meaning ‘Three Paths of Water’ in Yucatec Maya, is one of the region’s most important sources of fresh water and was named as the longest underground cave system in the world by the National Speleological Society. Situated just south of Tulum, and close to the fascinating Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, this complex system of limestone caverns and passageways has long been considered by divers and researchers as one of the Yucatán Peninsula’s most interesting. Ox Bel Ha measures a total of 270.2km (167.9 miles) and has around 150 cenotes dotted along the length of it. When you account for connected dry caves, it’s easily Mexico’s longest cave system at 346.7km (215.4 miles).

Chicxulub Impact Crater – The Chicxulub crater is an impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula. It’s center is located offshore near the communities of Chicxulub Puerto and Chicxulub Pueblo, after which the crater is named. It was formed when a large asteroid or comet, estimated to be11 to 81 kilometers (6.8 to 50.3 miles) in diameter, known as the Chicxulub impactor, struck the Earth. According to secular geologists, the date of the impact coincides with the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary (commonly known as the “K–Pg boundary”), and promoted to be slightly more than 66 million years ago. This widely accepted theory promotes that a worldwide climate disruption occurred as a result of this metior strike, causing a mass extinction in which 75% of plant and animal species on Earth became extinct, including all non-avian dinosaurs. The The Museum will show the problems with this belief and present evidence for an alternative viewpoint.

Chichén Itza – The museum would have a replica model. Chichén Itzá is a ruined ancient Maya city occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square km) in south-central Yucatán state, Mexico. It is thought to have been a religious, military, political, and commercial center that at its peak would have been home to some 35,000 people. Chichén Itza is a Maya World Heritage site, and has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the most well-known, and most visited archaeological zone in Mexico, and for good reason. The restored Pyramid of Kukulcan is a masterpiece.

Archeology of the Aztecs – The origin of the Aztec people is uncertain, but they settled on islands in Lake Texcoco and in 1325 founded Tenochtitlán, which remained their chief center. At its height, Tenochtitlán itself covered more than 5 square miles (13 square km) and had upwards of 140,000 inhabitants, making it the most densely populated settlement ever achieved by a Mesoamerican civilization. The Aztec state was a despotism in which the military played a dominant role.

The basis of Aztec success in creating a great state and ultimately an empire was their remarkable system of agriculture, which featured intensive cultivation of all available land, as well as elaborate systems of irrigation and reclamation of swampland. The high productivity gained by those methods made for a rich and populous state.

Archeology from Acámbaro – The Acámbaro figures are about 33,000 small ceramic figurines found by Waldemar Julsrud in July 1944, in the Mexican city of Acámbaro, Guanajuato. The figurines resemble dinosaurs and are sometimes cited as anachronisms (chronologically out of place). The existence of the figurines gives credible evidence for the coexistence of dinosaurs and humans.

Rocks from Mexico – Exhibits will show the amazing variety and beauty of rocks, minerals, and gemstones found in Mexico. Examples would be:

Las Choyas Geodes – (Chihuahua) Las Choyas geodes are also known as Coconut Geodes. They are mined in Chihuahua, Mexico. The geode pockets are usually located at least 100 feet below the earth’s surface. The geode sizes range from 2 to 6 inches in diameter. These geodes can be hollow, semi-hollow or may also be filled solid with quartz and agate. The hollow geodes may have many different types of crystals inside such as Clear Quartz, Smokey Quartz, and amethyst. There may be secondary minerals or formations such as goethite, hematite, mordenite, calcite, apatite, stalactites, and galena crystals. Geodes are important because they show rapid formation.

Cave of the Crystals (Naica Mine, Chihuahua) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine at a depth of 300 meters (980 ft), in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. It takes the form of a chamber within the limestone and is about 109-metre (358 ft) long with a volume of 5,000 to 6,000 cubic meters (180,000 to 210,000 cu ft).

The chamber contains some of the largest selenite crystals (gypsum, CaSO4 • 2H2O) ever found. The largest is 11.40 meters (37.4 ft), with a volume of about 5 cubic meters (180 cu ft), and an estimated mass of 12 tons. When it was accessible, the cave was extremely hot, with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored because of these factors. Without proper protection, people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.

Fossils from all over Mexico

Dinosaurs – La Bocana Roja and El Gallo (from state of northern Baja California). Labocania is a genus of carnivorous theropod, possibly tyrannosauroid dinosaur. Fragments of Laboncania could represent the earliest large theropod from North American.

Cerro del Pueblo Formation (from state of Coahuila). Among the vertebrates found are: fishes; turtles; crocodilians and a pterosaur. Dinosaurs found include a hadrosaurine hadrosaur, a new Troodontidae, and other indeterminate theropods.

Marine fossils – (state of Puebla) The San José de Gracia Quarry, located within the Municipality of Molcaxac, southern Puebla, Mexico, is a new paleontological site discovered about a decade ago. The San José de Gracia Quarry is composed mostly of fish remains; it also contains ammonites, belemnites, inoceramids, indeterminate ostreids, reptiles and a few plant remains.

Megalithic Structures – One of the most fascinating groups of archaeological monuments is prehistoric structures made of stones or soil – megaliths, cairns, and petroforms. Megaliths are structures made of large stones by ancient cultures, without any mortar or cement. Cairns are man-made piles of stones of diverse purpose and meaning. Petroforms are ancient, human-made patterns of rocks or soil on open ground. Megalithic structures are found throughout the world. Many of these structures could not be built today with modern equipment! Who built them, why did they build them and for what purpose? Exhibits will answer these questions.

Large children’s area with hands on displays – The children’s area will provide a rich physical environment where children and families learn and play together; a place where childhood is respected, nurtured and celebrated. The children’s area will be user friendly, interactive, hands-on, attractive, non-threatening and contain stimulating displays designed and developed for children.

Key features will have an emphasis on:

Learning – to enrich children’s lives, broaden their cultural experience and provide them with a creative space in which to learn about the world.

Interactive/hands-on – to teach children more about themselves and the world around them within an interactive learning environment.

Fun/enjoyment/joy – where fun meets learning.

Play – learning through play and a place for families to learn and play together.

Creativity/imagination – to foster creative behavior in people—especially children.

Discovery – children are offered the opportunity to discover the mystery of how things function.

Children/families/multi-generational – to engage children and families in a partnership of learning through interactive exhibits and educational programs.

Multi-cultural/intercultural – children play and delight in diverse cultural expressions and celebrations of life.

Third Floor

The third floor would include a large auditorium for speakers, presentations, concerts etc. It would also house some of the most controversial items in the world, such as, the Ica Stones from Peru and OOPARTS (out-of-place artifacts). The following is a partial list of displays to be found on the third floor:

Auditorium – This would be used for speakers, presentations, concerts, churches etc.

Planetarium – A planetarium that will present astronomy as a creation of God. Individual presentations would include what happened on the days of creation astronomically. Also, a special presentation on the Chicxulub crater impact.

Ice Age animals – Great ice sheets cover much of the continent. Huge, strange animals roam the cold, windswept plains. You have entered North America about 4000 years ago. This is the Ice Age! This exhibit will house fossil reconstructions of ice age animals and when this period of Earth history fits into the Bible.

Rocks and Fossils from around the world – Tunnel beneath the earth in a re-created mine and examine a host of colorful crystals and minerals found both locally and globally. A unique collection of gems and minerals from all over the world that will show the diversity of minerals and the elements that formed them.

Traveling Exhibit Hall – This will be an open exhibit hall that will book traveling exhibits. They will not have to be creation exhibits but will have additional info about the exhibit from a Biblical perspective. Examples will be: Titanic Artifacts, Mythical Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids; The Horse; Coral Reefs: Nurseries of the Sea; The First Europeans; Treasures from the Hills of Atapuerca, etc…

OOPARTS – “Out-of-place” artifacts constitute one of the most damaging evidences against the evolutionary model.

What are OOPARTS? These are artifacts that don’t fit the evolutionary scheme of history. OOPARTS are either out of place historically or technologically. They refute evolution. How do you determine if an artifact is an oopart? If the artifact should not be there according to the preconceived ideals of evolution it is an OOPART. Why don’t we hear more about ooparts? Because these artifacts show that the history of the world according to evolution is wrong. So, the secular world tries to sweep them under the carpet, or puts them in the realm of the unbelievable, in the paranormal section, the same place where you find information on UFO’s. The evolutionists go to great lengths to condemn and ridicule these artifacts. They cannot allow them to be legitimate artifacts or evolution crumbles.

Workshop – Where fossils/exhibits are being worked on for presentation. Visitors can see how fossils are being preserved and prepared for exhibit.

Rooftop

The rooftop will include a coffee shop and a number of restaurants. These would have different themes such as one could serve “dinosaur burgers”. There would be a seating area where visitors will be able to sit and relax and discuss the content of the Museum and enjoy the view from the roof.

Other Museum Activities

Conduct Field Excursions – Field excursions are recognized as important moments in learning; a shared social experience that provides the opportunity for people to encounter and explore novel things in an authentic setting. It is important to recognize that learning outcomes from field excursions can range from cognitive to affective outcomes. Among the many potential outcomes, research has shown that field trips:

– Expose participants to new experiences and can increase interest and engagement in science regardless of prior interest in a topic;

– Result in affective gains such as more positive feelings toward the topic;

– Are experiences that can be recalled and useful long after a visit.

The following is a list of topics the Museum could conduct field excursions within Quintana Roo and the Yucatan Peninsula areas:

Geological

Archeological

Biological

Oceanographic

School Science Assemblies – The Museum will become a community resource for connecting God and the Bible to science, history, and reality. During assemblies students will be shown that the Bible is not just a book of religion but authoritatively speaks on science and history. By connecting the evidence for creation to everything else they are learning in their school curriculum it becomes more real and relevant. Students are left with resources to increase their interest in science. Speakers from the Museum will be sent to give presentations to local schools at no cost to the schools