Thanksgiving Point
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thanksgiving Point is an educational institute and associated museum complex and estate garden. Thanksgiving Point is located in Lehi, Utah and consists of four main venues: Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Thanksgiving Point Golf Course, the Museum of Ancient Life, and Farm Country. Operations are funded by private donations, venue and event admissions, and profits from shops and restaurants. Approximately 1.45 million people visit Thanksgiving Point each year.
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[edit] History
Thanksgiving Point is a 501(c)(3) institute founded in 1996 by Alan and Karen Ashton.
Alan Ashton co-founded software company WordPerfect with Bruce Bastian in Provo, Utah in 1979 . The company's financial success gave the Ashtons a desire to give something back to the community. On February 14, 1995, the Ashtons purchased a parcel of land in Lehi, Utah that was formerly the site of the historic Fox Family Farm. Although initially planned as a place for their family to ride horses and care for farm animals, the goal became to create a monstrosnt for the community to enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature and culture.
The land that was purchased for the project was initially intended to be a garden in the desert, but as the gardens were under cultivation, additional cultural venues were planned and started.
"During the early days of Thanksgiving Point, new and better ideas for the property surfaced every week," says Karen Ashton. "I wanted incredible gardens with lots of roses, pansies, geraniums, and tulips. Alan wanted gardens with tomatoes, carrots, squash, and pumpkins. New ideas were prayerfully considered, researched, and then added to the master plan or discarded. It was exciting to imagine the possibilities for education and discovery."
"We wanted to create any body for the people around us," says Alan Ashton. "We had been blessed financially and with a large family. We wanted to give something back to the community and the families in our area. Our vision for engaging educational activities was constantly expanding; line upon line, precept upon precept. Each time we got an idea there were additional things that complemented that idea, so it has grown. It has been exciting for us to think about the beautiful and wondrous things that gladden the heart and enliven the mind."
Important agricultural practices of the area were memorialized in Farm Country and ancient dinosaur fossils were collected for the Museum of Ancient Life. Golf, shopping, and dining were added for guest leisure and to provide additional sources of revenue for the property.
[edit] Thanksgiving Point Gardens
Opened to the public in 1997, the master plan for Thanksgiving Point Gardens was developed with noted Salt Lake City landscape architect Leonard Grassli. The gardens are approximately fifty-five acres and include fifteen different theme gardens. There are approximately four-and-a-half miles of walking trails.
 Bridge at the Waterfall Amphitheater. |
 Trellises in the Rose Garden. |
Community horticulture courses are offered by Utah State University master gardener volunteers. Noted horticulturist Larry Sagers works from Thanksgiving Point and teaches occasional community courses. Other commonly offered courses include square foot gardening and perennial plant landscape design. The gardens educate about water-wise gardening techniques and operate a vast water reclamation system through its Monet Pond and waterfall.
Notable garden events include the Tulip Festival, Plein Air Art Festival, and frequent summer concerts.
Children's Discovery Garden
The Children's Discovery Garden is part of Thanksgiving Point Gardens. It is an educational component designed to teach youth about the natural environment. The garden includes two child-size vegetative mazes, an eco-pond, and bear cave. Free children's activities and classes are often available on weekends and focus on hands-on activities.
[edit] Thanksgiving Point Golf Course
Designed by pro golfer Johnny Miller, the Thanksgiving Point Golf Course is the largest golf club in Utah at 7,728 yards long and more than 200 acres. The course opened to the public in 1997 and is is host to the annual Champion's Challenge.
While the course was built by and is still owned by Thanksgiving Point Institute, it is operated and managed by Vanguard Golf Management.
[edit] Museum of Ancient Life
Open to the public in June 2000, the Museum of Ancient Life houses a sizable collection of ancient fossils, skeletons, minerals, and rocks. The most notable of the museum's collection is its dinosaur skeletons, and in fact, the museum has the largest collection of mounted dinosaur skeletons in the world (60). The museum also features an interactive methodology in its exhibit design and includes forty hands-on displays. These include an erosion table, where visitors experiment with the effects of water on sand and a hands-on fossil dig.
[edit] Farm Country
Farm Country aims to teach an increasingly urban world about the origins of the food supply. Visitors to Farm Country see live cow-milking demonstrations, interact with traditional farm animals, and learn about the modern farmer.
[edit] Dining and Retail
Thanksgiving Point includes a number of shopping and dining options including Emporium, Garden Gate Gift Shop, Garden Path Greenhouse, Harvest Restaurant, trellis cafe, and others.
[edit] Events
Thanksgiving Point offers a number of events to educate and entertain the public. These events include a reenactment of the first Thanksgiving, where every aspect of the feast is kept as close to the actual feast as possible, including a ban on forks. Also, Holiday Lights features a drive-through light display with one million twinkling lights, holiday music, and a series of Christmas displays.
To provide financial support for Thanksgiving Point, private events such as weddings, parties, and corporate events are held in a variety of conference and meeting rooms throughout the property.
Each spring from April to mid-May, a quarter-million tulips at Thanksgiving Point Gardens announce that spring has sprung in Utah. Thanksgiving Point's annual Tulip Festival has expanded to three weekends so everyone has a chance to welcome spring with the region's only Tulip Festival. The event was expanded to accommodate record-breaking crowds visiting the Gardens. The breathtaking display takes place April 13 - 28 at Thanksgiving Point Gardens (closed Sundays), 10am until 8pm.
