Thanksgiving Point facts for kids
| Established | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Location | Thanksgiving Point 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way Lehi, Utah Utah, United States |
| Visitors | Average of 2.8 million each year |
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Thanksgiving Point is a super fun place in Lehi, Utah, USA! It's a special kind of non-profit place with indoor and outdoor farms, beautiful gardens, and exciting museums. It's like a huge park where you can learn and play.
The five main attractions at Thanksgiving Point are:
- Ashton Gardens
- Butterfly Biosphere
- Farm Country
- Museum of Ancient Life
- Museum of Natural Curiosity
This amazing place also has restaurants, event spaces, and gift shops. About 2.8 million people visit Thanksgiving Point every year!
Some other businesses are also located here, like the Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres and the Thanksgiving Point Golf Course. Thanksgiving Point also works with Utah State University to offer classes.
Contents
- The Story Behind Thanksgiving Point
- Ashton Gardens: A World of Beauty
- Butterfly Biosphere: Meet Amazing Insects
- Farm Country: A Real Working Farm
- Museum of Ancient Life: Walk with Dinosaurs
- Museum of Natural Curiosity: Explore and Discover
- Classes and Events: Fun All Year Long
- Other Cool Spots at Thanksgiving Point
The Story Behind Thanksgiving Point
Thanksgiving Point was started in 1995 by Karen Jackman Ashton and Alan C. Ashton. Alan Ashton helped create a software company called WordPerfect. In 1994, the company was sold.
After the sale, Alan bought some farmland in Lehi, Utah. He gave it to his wife Karen as a Valentine's Day gift in 1995. They wanted to build a community garden and farm where people could learn. They chose the name "Thanksgiving Point" to show how grateful they were.
How Thanksgiving Point Grew
The first part of Thanksgiving Point to open was Farm Country in 1996. Here, visitors could learn where their food comes from on a real working farm.
In 1997, the gardens, now called Ashton Gardens, partly opened. By 2000, the full 55-acre gardens were open. They offered a peaceful place for everyone to enjoy.
The Museum of Ancient Life opened in 2000. It lets you travel back in time to see dinosaurs! This museum is 30,000 square feet.
In 2014, the Museum of Natural Curiosity opened. This 45,000-square-foot science museum has four indoor areas and a 3-acre outdoor garden.
The Butterfly Biosphere opened in 2019. It's the first insectarium in Utah! It has a huge 10,000-square-foot greenhouse. Here, you can walk among hundreds of amazing butterflies from all over the world.
Ashton Gardens: A World of Beauty
The Ashton Gardens first opened in 1997. They were designed by landscape architect Leonard Grassli. These beautiful gardens cover about 55 acres. They have 15 different themed areas.
One special part is a copy of the garden from the famous book The Secret Garden. Other cool garden rooms include a Monet pond, Rocky Mountain scenes, and a rose garden with 60 different kinds of roses!
In 2016, the gardens were renamed "Ashton Gardens." This was to honor Alan and Karen Ashton and their family for all their help.
You can also take gardening classes here. These classes teach about things like square foot gardening and how to design your own garden. The gardens also show how to save water using smart watering systems.
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A bridge at the Waterfall Amphitheatre
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Cool trellises in the Rose Garden
Light of the World Garden
Inside Ashton Gardens, you'll find the Light of the World Garden. This garden is about 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) big. It was created by artist Angela Johnson. It has 35 large bronze sculptures. These sculptures show scenes from the life of Jesus from the Biblical New Testament.
Butterfly Biosphere: Meet Amazing Insects
The Butterfly Biosphere is home to many different animals. You can see hundreds of butterflies from around the world. There are also 20 kinds of tarantulas and huge beetles! Some of the cool creatures you might see include Blue Morpho butterflies, Atlas Moths, Black Widow Spiders, and Goliath Beetles.
In 2020, a new permanent exhibit opened. It features amazing Leafcutter Ants!
Farm Country: A Real Working Farm
Farm Country is a real working farm that you can visit! In the summer, kids in the Junior Master Gardener Club help take care of the garden. They grow tasty tomatoes, basil, peppers, watermelon, and pumpkins.
You can also see other demonstration gardens. There are daily cow-milking shows, traditional farm animals, and fun wagon and pony rides.
Museum of Ancient Life: Walk with Dinosaurs
The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point opened in 2000. Some paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) wanted to build a great dinosaur museum. They worked with Thanksgiving Point to create one of the world's largest collections of dinosaur fossils.
The museum's goal was to bring the fossils to life. They wanted to put them in an exciting environment, not just in glass cases.
The museum also has a huge movie screen called the Mammoth Screen 3D Theater. It shows big science films that fit with the museum's exhibits.
Museum of Natural Curiosity: Explore and Discover
Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Natural Curiosity opened in May 2014. This museum has five main areas where you can explore:
- Rainforest
- Waterworks
- Kidopolis
- Traveling Exhibits
- Discovery Garden
Discovery Garden: Learn Outdoors
Discovery Garden is the outdoor part of the Museum of Natural Curiosity. It's a special area designed to teach kids about nature. The garden has two fun mazes made of hedges. It also has an "eco-pond" and a copy of Timpanogos Cave. Discovery Garden is also a certified Nature Explore Classroom. It was the first in Utah!
Classes and Events: Fun All Year Long
Thanksgiving Point offers many different classes for kids and adults. You can learn about cooking, caring for animals, robotics, gardening, fitness, arts and crafts, and even glass-blowing!
They also have exciting events throughout the year. For example, there's a beautiful spring tulip festival. In the fall, there's a seasonal corn maze. During the holidays, you can enjoy a magical lights show called Luminaria.
You can also hold private events here, like weddings or parties, in their meeting rooms.
Other Cool Spots at Thanksgiving Point
Some other places are located on the Thanksgiving Point campus.
Thanksgiving Point Golf Course
The Thanksgiving Point Golf Course is a very large public golf course in Utah. It's about 7,728 yards (7,066 m) long and covers more than 200 acres (0.81 km2). A famous professional golfer named Johnny Miller designed this course.
Roots of Humanity Exhibit: Coming Soon!
Near the Ashton Gardens parking lot, there's a spot for a future exhibit called the Roots of Humanity Exhibit. This will be an 80-foot building with walls made only of stained glass. It will be over 11,000 square feet of amazing art!
