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[[Image:DinoAdventureLand.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Dinosaur Adventure Land entrance with Creation Museum (left) and Science Center, both closed since 2006.]]
'''Dinosaur Adventure Land''' (DAL) is a [[Wikipedia:Young Earth creationism|Young Earth Creationist]] theme park located at 5800 [[Old Palafox Road]]. It was created in [[2001]] by evangelist [[Kent Hovind]], in whose back yard the park sits, as part of his [[Christian Creation Science Evangelism]] ministry. Hailing itself as "the place where dinosaurs and the Bible meet," the park presents a number of science exhibits and activities that depict dinosaurs and men living together and attempt according to disprove evolution and other scientific concepts that conflict with a literal interpretation of the Bible.
The park's [[#Legal troubles|legal troubles]] have been tied to those of Hovind himself, who failed to obtain proper permits during construction and was convicted of tax fraud for deliberately circumventing the law regarding the reporting of revenue and payment of employees. The Dinosaur Adventure Land park is still operated by other members of the Hovind family and their ministry, though several of the buildings have has been shut down by [[Escambia County]] authoritiesclosed since 2009.
==Creationism & beyond==
Like other forms of Young Earth Creationism, the "Hovind Theory" is rejected by the vast majority of the scientific community.<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_publi.htm poll] by the Gallup organization</ref><ref>[http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=1393 Project Steve - Establishing the Obvious] William Dembski, Discovery Institute.</ref> It has also been condemned by fellow Young Earth Creationists.<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/hovind/howgood.html TalkOrigins] on Kent Hovind</ref><ref name="Hovindtheory">{{cite web|url=http://www.kent-hovind.com/theory.htm|title=The Hovind Theory|date=2002|publisher=Kent Hovind.com}}</ref><ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2571/ Creation Ministries International criticism of Hovind]</ref>
The exhibits and tour guides at Dinosaur Adventure Land employ various techniques to advance the Hovind Theory. The phrase "evolution" is used as a catch-all phrase for any scientific knowledge that conflicts with a literal six-day creation, including theories of [[Wikipedia:abiogenesis|abiogenesis]] and disciplines such as geology, chemistry and cosmology. Scientific viewpoints are misrepresented, often by citing a variety of debunked hoxes hoaxes and obsolete theories (like [[Wikipedia:Piltdown Man|Piltdown Man]] and Haeckel's [[Wikipedia:recapitulation theory|recapitulation theory]]) as currently accepted by the scientific community.
===Cryptozoology===
[[Image:DAL-CreationMuseum2.jpg|thumb|right|Exhibit in DAL's Creation Museum showing photographs and media reports of alleged "modern dinosaurs."]]
Dinosaur Adventure Land also extends into the realm of [[Wikipedia:cryptozoology|cryptozoology]]. As the name suggests, the park's main emphasis is on dinosaurs. Hovind believes that dinosaurs did not go extinct millions of years ago; that stories of "dragons" in mythology are actually references to dinosaurs; and that reported creatures like the [[Wikipedia:Loch Ness Monster|Loch Ness Monster]] and [[Wikipedia:Mokele-mbembe|Mokele-mbembe]] are in fact relict relic specimens.
Most of the examples offered as evidence have been debunked for decades, like the photo of a rotted "plesiosaur" carcass caught in 1977 by Japanese trawler ''[[Wikipedia:Zuiyo Maru|Zuiyo Maru]]'', now widely believed to be a basking shark. The Park is unclear, however, on how the discovery of living dinosaurs might undermine the theory of evolution, which does not address the extinction of dinosaurs.
According to the IRS, Hovind's theme park and merchandise sales earned more than $5 million from 1999 to March 2004.<ref name="begins">{{cite news | url= | title=Evangelist's trial begins: Dinosaur Adventure Land owner, wife face 58 counts of tax fraud| publisher=Pensacola News Journal |date=October 18, 2006 | first=Angela | last=Fail | accessdate = }}</ref> About half of that income went to employees who were salaried or were paid hourly wages. The government believes that grew to the point of earning $2 million a year.<ref>{{cite news | url= | title=Hard to believe a man with a Ph.D didn't know of a basic tax law | publisher=Pensacola News Journal | date= November 3, 2006 | first=Mark | last=O'Brien | accessdate = 2006-11-03}}</ref>
Hovind and his wife paid no taxes on the revenue from the park. On [[July 11]], [[2006]], Hovind was charged in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida]] with twelve counts of willful failure to collect, account for, and pay over Federal income taxes and FICA taxes under {{usc|26|7202}}, forty-five counts of knowingly structuring transactions in Federally-insured financial institutions to evade the reporting requirements of {{usc|31|5313(a)}}, in violation of {{usc|31|5324}}, {{usc|18|2}} and 31 C.F.R. sec. 103.11, and one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws under {{usc|26|7212}}.<ref>Indictment, ''United States of America v. Kent E. Hovind and Jo D. Hovind'', U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Pensacola Division, case no. 3:06CR83/MCR (dated July 11, 2006; filed at 12:55 pm, July 11, 2006) (hereinafter "Indictment").</ref><ref name="arrested">{{cite news | url= | title=Evangelist arrested on federal charges | publisher=Pensacola News Journal | date= 14 July 2006| first=Michael | last=Stewart | accessdate = }}</ref> Twelve of the charges were for failing to pay employee-related taxes, totaling $473,818, and 45 of the charges were for evading reporting requirements by making multiple cash withdrawals just under the $10,000 reporting requirement (a technique known as "[[Wikipedia:Smurfing (crime)|smurfing]]"). The withdrawals, totaling $430,500, were made in 2001 and 2002.<ref name="arrested" /> Jo Hovind, his co-defendant wife, faced 44 charges.<ref>{{cite news | url= | title=Evangelist's trial postponed| publisher=[[Pensacola News Journal]] | date= 1 September 2006| first=Michael | last=Stewart | accessdate = }}</ref>
At the time of the indictment, Hovind's defense appeared to be that although there were 30 people working for him, all of whom received remuneration in cash, none of them were employees. According to Hovind, "Nobody's an employee, and they all know that when they come. They come, they work ... The laborer is worthy of his hire -- we try to take the purely scriptural approach. We do the best we can with helping people with their family needs. There are no employees here."<ref name = "noemp">{{cite news | url=http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/7/212006b.asp | title=Tax-Evasion Charges Baseless, Says Ministry Leader | publisher=AgapePress | date= July 21, 2006 | first=Jim | last=Brown | accessdate = 2006-12-18}}</ref> Hovind had also claimed that he was not liable for taxes that and his ministry did not have to "[[Wikipedia:render unto Caesar|render unto Caesar]]" because his workers are "missionaries" not "employees".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.wdcmedia.com/newsArticle.php?ID=1514 | title=Tax Evasion Charges Baseless Says Ministry Leader | publisher=WDC Media News | date= 7 July 2006 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2006-10-18}}</ref>
The trial concluded on November 1 with the defense deciding not to present a case.<ref>{{cite news | url= | title=Prosecutors rest case against Hovind | publisher=Pensacola News Journal | date= November 1, 2006 | first=Nicole | last=Lozare | accessdate = 2006-11-01}}</ref> After closing arguments were presented on [[November 2]], the jury deliberated three hours before finding the Hovinds guilty on all counts, 58 for Hovind and 44 for his wife.<ref>{{cite news | url=| title='Dr. Dino,' wife guilty | publisher=Pensacola News Journal | date= November 2, 2006 | first=Nicole | last=Lozare | accessdate = }}</ref>
Kent Hovind was sentenced to ten years in prison on [[January 19]], [[2007]]. On [[June 29]], his wife Jo was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Dinosaur Adventure Land is currently run by various family members and the [[Christian Science Evangelism]] ministry.
==Hours, tours & admission==
Dinosaur Adventure Land is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am - 5pm, with guided has been closed since 2009. No tours are available at 10:00 and 1:30. There is no set admission price, but the park requests a "suggested donation" of $7 per person. The park will also host birthday parties, offering a $105 package for "up to 10 kids" plus $8 per additional childthis location.
==External links==
