Ancient, wooden boats are hot: Take a look at the Noah's Ark replicas showing up all over including in the controversial, box office hit "Noah," which opened this past weekend. It is the latest of several projects over the past few years focusing on this popular biblical story.

Last March a Texas megachurch opened "The Ark" exhibit in San Antonio, drawing some 28,000 visitors to Cornerstone Church on opening day. The $5 million project features a 28,400-square-foot alder wood ark.

In 2012 Dutch construction firm owner Johan Huibers, opened his lifesize Noah's Ark replica made with Swedish pine to the public (see the video below). According to NBC News, the project took three years and over a million dollars to complete. Approximately 3,000 tourists per day have visited the boat since its opening.

But the largest planned Noah's Ark replica to-date is from a Kentucky group looking to build not only a 510-foot wooden boat but an 800-acre theme park -- Ark Encounter -- as well. Originally scheduled to open in the spring of 2014, developers now expect the $120 million park to open in the summer of 2016.

Despite tax incentives granted by the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority and $62 million in bonds offered by the city of Williamstown, KY, fundraising has been slow. However, developers said that $73 million for the first phase of construction has been raised, and they plan to break ground on the Ark Encounter in May. They credit the "Noah" movie and a publicized debate with Bill Nye "the Science Guy" in attracting additional worldwide exposure for the project.

Whether the story of Noah is popular due to the theme of survival or of second chances -- creating a fresh start out of utter destruction -- it seems to strike a cord with individuals. If recent Ark replicas are any indication, the Ark Encounter should prove popular with tourists as well with theme park developers predicting up to 2 million visitors in its first year.