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LEHI — The Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point will soon be Utah's newest museum for families. The museum will be home to more than 400 hands-on and interactive exhibits that teach principles of science, art, history and culture that will likely be a lot of fun for families as well.
"The Museum of Natural Curiosity will become our fourth main venue in addition to the Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, and Thanksgiving Point Gardens," said Britnee Johnston, Communications Manager at Thanksgiving Point. "We've been planning for the new museum for more than seven years so it's great to see it become a reality this year."
The new museum will feature five main exhibit areas: Rainforest, Water Works, Kidopolis, Discovery Garden and Traveling Exhibits.
Rainforest will be a giant playground with an obstacle course, airplane, rope bridges, a tower of trampoline nets and a 45-foot tall monkey head. It will also feature a number of scientific, sensory and cultural exhibits. There will be a "rainforest canopy tour" in the rafters of the building, which visitors may experience as an add-on.
Water Works will encourage water play while teaching about the science of water, wind, sun and earth in an environment reminiscent of Utah's red rocks. Waterproof outerwear and wind exhibits will allow families to splash all they want, but stay dry enough to enjoy the rest of the museum.
Kidopolis will be a child-size city where families can explore new interests around every corner. Make bubbles at the Laundromat, build something at the Tinkering Shop or perform a play at the Theater. Kidopolis will feature a key tree where visitors can donate unused keys to a growing community art project.
The new museum will feature five main exhibit areas: Rainforest, Water Works, Kidopolis, Discovery Garden and Traveling Exhibits.
Discovery Garden will incorporate Thanksgiving Point's existing Children's Garden and add some new outdoor exhibits. Nature, simple machines and the Archimedes playground will be new outdoor attractions.
Traveling exhibits will be provided by San Francisco's Exploratorium, with whom the Museum of Natural Curiosity has a multi-year agreement. These exhibits will teach about the world through science, art and human perception.
What do kids think of the new museum? Madeline and Andrew Laypath recently visited the Museum of Natural Curiosity for a test event.
"I love the trampoline net. I could live there," said 9-year-old Madeline.
"I like the Touch Tunnel because it is dark and you get to feel your way through," said 7-year-old Andrew.
The Museum of Natural Curiosity will open to the public on May 15, 2014. Admission will be $15/adult and $12/child (3-12 years) and $12/senior. Annual memberships to Thanksgiving Point will include the Museum of Natural Curiosity. Prices for several membership categories will go up on May 15, 2014. Family memberships are currently priced at $175 per year. That price will go up to $195 on May 15, 2014.
"There's nothing like the Museum of Natural Curiosity here in Utah," Johnston said. "The new Museum of Natural Curiosity supports our mission of providing transformative learning experiences. It's great that we are able to provide a new attraction at Thanksgiving Point with state-of-the-art exhibits that the community can enjoy during their visit."
For more information about The Museum of Natural Curiosity, visit www.museumofnaturalcuriosity.org.
Allison Laypath is an expert on family travel and author of the family travel blog tipsforfamilytrips.com. With her family, Allison especially enjoys road trips, national parks and local field trips. Email Allison at allison@tipsforfamilytrips.com.
