Thanksgiving Point - Lehi, Utah - Gardens, Dinosaur Museum, Themepark, Farm, 3-D theater, petting zoo

This nonprofit institute includes the fifty-five acre Thanksgiving Point Gardens, the Children's Discovery Garden, Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, Harvest Restaurant, Deli and Bakery, eight large conference and banquet rooms, the Emporium which has decorative items for your home, ten acres of landscaped reception areas, a 4,000-seat outdoor waterfall amphitheatre, and an 18-hole championship golf course.

If it sounds like a large, busy place...it is. You can spend a day, just on the gardens, another day at the museum, and a third day at Farm Country. You can eat, attend a concert, or a wedding. Thanksgiving Point is intended to be a gathering place for the communities along the Wasatch Front.

Established in 1996, Thanksgiving Point Institute is a quality of life, education based charity. Founded by Alan and Karen Ashton, co-founders of WordPerfect Corporation, Initially, the areas was purchased for a farm where their children could enjoy riding horses and caring for farm animals. But their plans soon expanded to include beautiful flower gardens and extensive vegetable gardens.

The Point offers innovative educational courses with hands-on discovery via innovative educational courses, day camps and field trips. These classes and camps are designed for every age group, from toddlers to adults.

Here are some examples of classes and experiences at Thanksgiving Point:

*First grade students grind and plant wheat, discovering that bread comes from a plant. *At the Erosion Table in the Museum of Ancient Life, fourth graders build dams, create flash floods and discover how dinosaur remains are fossilized.

*Attend a cooking class to learn the art of fondue or Chinese cooking.

*Aspiring painters, glass artists, potters and stained glass artists are engaged in the process of learning and perfecting their craft at the Art Institute.

Thanksgiving Point is located off I-15 at Point of the Mountain. The physical address is, 3003 N. Thanksgiving way, Lehi, Utah. They are open from Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm. The ice cream shop and restaurants stay open until 9pm.Winter Hours are from December 29 through March 28. The venues will close earlier during the winter.

Thanksgiving Point is home to dozens of public events throughout the year. Events like the Wedding Expo, the Tulip Festival, and several car shows. There is a Fourth of July Fireworks Show, Farmers Markets and a Corn Maze. You can have Breakfast With Santa and see the Holiday Lights. There are several concerts throughout the year. Thanksgiving Point welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors annually, hosts hundreds of corporate events, exhibits, banquets and weddings.

Reviews: "The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point are truly an oasis of beauty and serenity. While strolling through the beautifully themed gardens one feels a sense of awe you as you see and smell the tens of thousands of flowers all in the fore ground of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. My favorite garden was the secret garden, modeled after the garden in the book The Secret Garden, it is nearly hidden but that's what makes it so special. At first I thought the price was a little steep ($8), but I soon discovered it was well worth it.''

This reviewer on the Children's Discovery Garden said, "Take your swimsuit on a hot summer day. The kids will spend hours running around, jumping in the fun Noah's Ark fountain, and exploring the interactive areas to discover nature. Check out the schedule beforehand and go on a day when there are free crafts workshops. The kids will never want to leave.''