Visiting Thanksgiving Point Utah with Kids
Situated in Lehi, Utah, Thanksgiving Point is a group of museums and attractions that are great for kids. There are several different main hubs of activity and lots of places to eat. You could really spend multiple days visiting Thanksgiving Point with kids. But if you are just traveling through Utah or are shorter on time, you can still have a great experience with just one day at Thanksgiving Point.
There are lots of attractions for kids at Thanksgiving Point, but the two that our family really enjoyed were the Museum of Natural Curiosity and the Botanic Gardens at Ashton Gardens. These two attractions are located next to each in one area of Thanksgiving Point and can easily be done together in one day.
We chose to visit the gardens first and then have lunch at the garden cafe before making our way over to the Museum of Natural Curiosity.
Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point Utah
The Ashton Gardens is a botanic gardens at Thanksgiving Point that features beautiful native and international plants and landscape displays.
Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point is set up really well for managing with children. The path from the entrance is straight forward making its way through the grounds with not a lot of walking between highlights.
One of the things your kids will love most is Monet Lake where there are cute bridges to run across and beautiful fish to peep through the water.
Just past Monet Lake, you can stop at the Koi View Pier where you can purchase fish food to feed the koi. Make sure to bring some quarters! (You can also purchase fish food at the front desk when entering the gardens).
Another great place that your kids will love is the Italian Garden, that has a fountain that runs with stairs on both sides to climb and play around. There are also places here to sit and take a rest.
Nearby the fountain, there is a sculpture garden, the Light of the World Exhibit, that you will enjoy if you are Christian. There are more than a dozen sculptures of Christ and other biblical stories.
The Waterfall Amphitheatre is one of the last features you’ll see if you are following the main path through the gardens. It includes several cascading waterfalls over a gorgeous rock wall into a small lake. This is a great spot to stop for a picnic lunch or to sit and read or play.
The waterfall was undergoing maintenance while we were visiting, but it’s definitely a feature you don’t want to miss! You can also walk up over the waterfall and through a cave that my kids loved.
Make sure to eat at the Trellis Cafe after your visit to the gardens. There is an outdoor dining area that overlooks the gardens for a great atmosphere.
If you are looking for more to do in Utah, check out these epic National Parks.
Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point Utah
This might be your kids’ favorite attraction at Thanksgiving Point by far. The Museum of Natural Curiosity is a children’s museum at Thanksgiving Point located right next to Ashton Gardens. This kids museum at Thanksgiving Point is one of the best in Utah.
We were able to visit both in one day and preferred visiting the Gardens first in the morning when it was cooler and then being able to enjoy the air-conditioned museum in the afternoon.
The museum is set up in a pinwheel configuration, which I found really nice because my husband could take one child to an area they were interested in and I could take the others, and we never got too far away from each other!
Some of our favorite things to do in the Museum of Natural Curiosity included the Rainforest, Water Works and Kidopolis.
In the Rainforest, kids can climb and explore all sorts of rainforest and jungle creations. We loved following the path up to a small propeller plane that the kids could fly!
There is also a ropes course than older kids can take on for an additional ticket. It looked really fun!
Water Works was a favorite for our toddler, who loves splashing! There are water tables with really convenient baby seats and other work stations where kids can explore the properties of water. They will get wet so consider wearing clothes that you don’t mind getting a little (or a lot) damp.
Our big kids’ favorite area was Kidopolis, which was so fun! Here, kids can put on magic shows, run a bank, explore music in a recording studio, work in a veterinarian clinic and more.
Our kids could have spent hours in here!
Lastly, your kids can head outside and play in the Children’s Discovery Garden. There are several playground features, a cavernous tunnel to explore and another Koi pond.
Other Places to Consider Visiting with Kids at Thanksgiving Point Utah
Because we only had one day to spend at Thanksgiving Point, we were not able to do everything that I think is worth doing with kids. Here are some other places to consider if you have more time to spend at Thanksgiving Point with your family.
All three of these are located at the water tower area of Thanksgiving Point closer to Interstate 15 than the gardens or Museum of Natural Curiosity. They would be great to visit together on the same trip!
Museum of Ancient Life
The Museum of Ancient Life is a great museum to visit for the dinosaur lovers among us! There is a working paleontology lab you can visit, lots of hands-on exhibits and play areas for the littles! Utah has rich dinosaur history and it’s a fun and unique place to learn about these ancient reptiles. Your family can also take classes or watch a 3D movie in the onsite movie theater.
Butterfly Biosphere
Nearby the Museum of Ancient Life is the Butterfly Biosphere. In this museum, you can see thousands of bugs! There are all types of insects from butterflies to beetles and tarantulas. You can see a butterfly’s journey from the chrysalis to flying around eating fruit and drinking nectar around the biosphere.
For an additional fee, your kids can participate in releasing a butterfly.
Farm Country and Show Barn
Across from the Butterfly Biosphere, animal lovers can visit Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. There are pony rides, wagon rides, animal demonstrations and the chance to meet and pet goats, cows, sheep, pigs, llamas and more. You can also watch a cow milking and learn how milk is processed for consumers. This is a great place for anyone interested in farming and animals, but little kids will particularly love getting to see all of the animals up close!
