D.C.'s Museum of the Bible Marks First Anniversary 

United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson tells CBN News why families need to visit the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Click the player above. 

A special celebration was held Saturday to mark the one year anniversary since the opening of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

The 430,000 square foot facility showcases more than 40,000 items related to the world's best-selling and most widely read book.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson was one of the invited guests. He told CBN News the museum has a well-kept secret -- it's very entertaining. 

"Well, you know, the Bible is the most printed and the most renowned book in the history of the world. And this museum is a monument to it," Carson said.  "And to think what people don't understand about this museum -- it's also extremely entertaining!  You come here, you will be thrilled with it. There's a ride here. There's virtual reality here. There's an opportunity to see how this book has impacted people from all over the world."

"And to see it growing in popularity, you know, there's nothing partisan about it. There's nothing denominational about it," he noted. "This is about uplifting mankind. So it is absolutely a thrill to be here."

Carson, 67, says he believes right now there's a contest going on in the hearts and minds of all Americans. 

"Right now in America, there is a battle going on as to whether we retain our Judeo-Christian values or whether we decide that humanism is the most important thing, that everybody is their own center of justice and fairness," he said.  "And I believe that this museum will help people to move to the correct response on that question." 

Carson also told CBN News the museum is a place for families to have fun together. 

"I would just add that there's so much excitement about this place as this building. There are still a lot of people who just don't know about it," he said. "You know this is a word of mouth thing. Anybody who's been here will have just have had such a thrilling experience. So I encourage everybody to bring your family, bring your friends and just come." 

Steve Green, the museum's founder, says although the museum staff has learned a lot over the past year, there's still a lot of lessons to be learned. 

"We are just starting this journey and it has been exciting to see how thrilling people are in what has been produced and what we have here, the engagement, the excitement of our visitor is such a thrill for us to see," he said. 

"I love it when I hear that when visitors come and they are visiting all of the sights here, that the museum was their favorite," Green continued. "That challenges us to continue to raise the bar to make this the best experience that it can be."