Thanksgiving Point is a non-profit institute with a mission to:

Provide every guest a one-of-a-kind, hands-on opportunity for discovery
Provide entertaining, educational experiences in a variety of arts and sciences
Provide a comfortable family-friendly environment that promotes renewal of the mind and spirit
Provide a beautiful, cultural gathering place for the community

Description:
Thanksgiving Point is a "quality of life" charity. We believe that we make a difference in the quality of life of our visitors.

History:
This large, windswept dairy farm in northern Utah County belonged to the Fox family of Lehi, Utah for nearly a century. Not much changed during those years, except for construction of Interstate 15 just east of the property. In fact, as late as 1995 the far north end of the property still had remnants of the summering grounds where Native Americans established trading posts and bartered with mountain men more than 150 years ago. The Overland Stage and Pony Express Trail that once connected St. Joseph, Missouri to San Francisco, California was still visible near the river, and 19th century railroad tracks divided the property in half.

When Alan and Karen Ashton, co-founders of WordPerfect Corporation, purchased the farm on Valentine's Day, 1995, it had 580 dairy cows and more than 350 acres of hay, barley, and alfalfa fields. Initially, the new owners bought the land 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.

"During the early days of Thanksgiving Point, new and better ideas for the property surfaced every week," says Karen. "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."

"We wanted to create something for the people around us," says Alan. "We've 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 is expanding as we go; line upon line, precept upon precept. Each time we get an idea there are some other things that complement that idea, so it grows. It's exciting for us to think about the beautiful things that will gladden the heart and enliven the mind."

Shortly after securing the land, the Ashtons hired a General Manager to manage the farm and prepare the ground for planting. As spring approached, the manager purchased horses, cows, sheep and even a few buffalo. Leonard Grassli, a noted Salt Lake City landscape architect, joined the team to survey the land and design the garden spaces. With Grassli, the Ashtons created the first master plan for Thanksgiving Point, detailing where the animals and gardens would be located. The old milk barn was torn down and a small office trailer was brought in to accommodate the small, but growing, staff.

By summer, the project was growing again. Plans for the flower gardens were moved to the large natural bowl on the northwest end of the property, the groundwork was set for a farmer's market and restaurant, and production greenhouses were added to provide plant material for the project. The Farm developed into a public educational display where the community could enjoy the animals while learning about agriculture, conservation, and animal care.

On October 19, 1995, Thanksgiving Point hosted a ground-breaking event near the site of the present day Thanksgiving Point Golf Course. More than 500 guests braved the cold autumn weather to catch a glimpse of the latest master plan and witness the ceremonial first shovel. Alan spoke of the recreational facilities, the animal park, and the restaurant. Karen enthusiastically described the greenhouses, nurseries, and beautiful gardens. Together they introduced the mission statement and expanded on the educational emphasis. Then they invited golf professional Johnny Miller to announce the construction of a Johnny Miller Signature Championship Golf Course on the property. Next it was Leonard Grassli's turn to describe in great detail the scope of the large fifty-five acre estate gardens that would someday attract visitors from around the world. To commemorate the event, Karen turned a shovel of dirt, Alan smashed a tennis ball, and Johnny Miller drove a golf ball across the Jordan River.

"By the time we held the ground breaking," says Clive Winn, former president of Thanksgiving Point Institute, "our plans for the future of this project were pretty well established. We knew we wanted to create a wonderful facility where all our friends, family, and neighbors could come to enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature. We wanted to preserve a green space in the midst of rapidly developing urban sprawl. And we wanted to leave something for future generations."

One year after the ground breaking, Huckleyberry's Family Restaurant, the Garden Emporium, and the Animal Park were ready to open. For four days in October, 1996, more than 45,000 curious spectators visited Thanksgiving Point's Open House. Guests were invited to tour the facilities, sample the cuisine, and provide feedback on their experience and impressions. Shortly after the Open House, Thanksgiving Point opened for business. Within a year Thanksgiving Point opened the Old-fashioned Soda Fountain, European-style Bakery and Deli, and the world-class Garden Shop.

In the summer of 1997, the Thanksgiving Point Golf Course opened. This beautiful championship course is the longest course in the state, with each hole having at least five tee boxes. Utah's Golf Hall of Fame is now located in the Clubhouse.

"Several people have asked us when Thanksgiving Point is going to be finished," muses Karen. "The answer is, we don't know! If everything goes well, we would like to keep adding to this project for many years to come. We are excited about what is available today, construction is progressing in several areas, and we know we haven't thought of all the great ideas that will someday be part of Thanksgiving Point."

Today, Thanksgiving Point has grown to over 700 acres and employs more than 400 workers to maintain the beauty and manage the business. By the summer of 2000, Thanksgiving Point included the fifty-five acre Thanksgiving Garden, the Children's Discovery Garden, a 180-seat fine dining restaurant, a European-style Deli and Old-fashioned Soda Fountain, eight large conference and banquet rooms, a 13,000 square foot Garden Emporium, two outdoor reception areas, ten acres of Backyard Gardens, a 5,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, a vegetable display garden, a farmer's market, an animal park, a large pasture, a tree farm, ten production greenhouses, the world's largest dinosaur exhibit, and an 18-hole championship golf course. Construction is nearly complete on a large, barn-shaped dinner theater that will seat over 1,000, as well as our new venue for company parties, family reunions, and county fairs, Electric Park.

In addition, Thanksgiving Point Institute now hosts two to three cooking classes a week, three to four gardening classes a week, and dozens of field trips through the Animal Park. More than 125,000 guests visited Thanksgiving Point last holiday season to see the large display of Christmas lights and the manger scene in the Animal Park.

Soon, Thanksgiving Point will welcome more than one million visitors a year. Not bad for a piece of property that a short time ago was a large, windswept dairy farm.

Contact person: Valerie Pahl, Volunteer Coordinator, (801) 768-7426, (email)
Office fax number: (801) 766-5050

Languages Spoken: English, Russian

Address:

3003 N. Thanksgiving Way Lehi, UT 84043 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com