With our exciting new venue comes the opportunity for a unique field trip experience to see and learn about insects up close!

Butterfly Biosphere Field Trip request forms will be available and accepted starting July 1st, for visits beginning September 3rd (No visits available during the months of July and August).

• All other Field Trip policies apply.
• Like the creatures inside it, Butterfly Biosphere is smaller than our other venues so we cannot schedule as many schools in one day. Your patience will be greatly appreciated!
• The Butterfly Biosphere will only accept the following Field Trip types for the following ages: 
  • Grades K-6: Explorer Plus field trip ONLY
  • Grades 7-12: Explorer field trip
  • Preschool, Daycare, Clubs, Camps, etc.: Discovery field trip

Please select the correct grade level or group tab below to fill out and submit the field trip request form.

Discovery Field Trip

• $6 per student and adult
  • Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life, & Ashton Gardens (seasonal)
• $4 per child and adult
  • Farm Country
• One teacher/coordinator admitted for free at all venues
• 1:4 ratio chaperone required for safety and supervision
• You may bring more than the 1:4 requirement for the same rate ($6 or $4 depending on venue)
• 3-hour self-guided admission to one venue (includes lunch time)
• Anyone coming on a membership needs to check in separately and not be included in the number of students/adults on the request form

REQUEST DISCOVERY FIELD TRIP

Explorer Field Trip

• $4 per student
• 1 free adult for every 4 students (includes teachers)
• Extra adults charged regular adult venue admission price
• 3-hour, self-guided admission (includes lunch time)

REQUEST FIELD TRIP

Explorer Plus Field Trip

• $5 per student
• 1 free adult for every 4 students (includes teachers)
• Extra adults charged regular adult venue admission price
• Includes a 25-minute facilitated activity based on science core of grade level (activity subjects by grade HERE)
• 3-hour, self-guided admission (includes lunch time)
• Not available at Ashton Gardens
• Not available between June and August

REQUEST FIELD TRIP

Explorer Field Trip

• $4 per student
• 1 free adult for every 6 students (includes teachers)
• Extra adults charged regular adult admission price
• 3-hour, self-guided admission (includes lunch time)
• Self-guided

REQUEST FIELD TRIP

Career Exploration Experience (CEE)

• Only available for grades 6-8
• 90-student maximum
• $8 per student
• 1 free adult for every 10 students
• Extra adults charged regular adult admission price
• Offered only from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (no lunch break)
• Three 50-minute hands-on workshops for in-depth look at variety of careers
• Venue admission not included
• Venue admission may be added for $2 per student and correct adult ratio based on grade (venue must be added at least one week before field trip date)
• Field Trip types HERE 
  • Foods, Farm, Fossils (Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, Restaurant Kitchen)
  • STEM Careers (Museum of Natural Curiosity)
  • Green Careers (Museum of Natural Curiosity)

REQUEST CEE FIELD TRIP

Explorer Field Trip

• $4 per student
• 1 free adult for every 10 students (includes teachers)
• Extra adults charged regular adult admission price
• 3-hour, self-guided admission (includes lunch time)

REQUEST FIELD TRIP HERE

Discovery Field Trip

• $6 per student and adult
  • Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life, Ashton Gardens (seasonal)
• $4 per student and adult
  • Farm Country
• One teacher/coordinator admitted free at all venues
• 3-hours self-guided admission (includes lunch time)

REQUEST FIELD TRIP HERE

Discovery Field Trip

• $6 per student and adult
  • Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life, Ashton Gardens (seasonal)
• $4 per student and adult
  • Farm Country
• One teacher/coordinator admitted free at all venues
• 5-student minimum: you may bring less than 5 students but still pay for 5 at the Discovery rate
• 3-hour, self-guided admission to venue (includes lunch time)
• Anyone coming on a membership needs to check in separately and not be included in the number of students/adults on the request form

REQUEST FIELD TRIP HERE

Homeschool/Online School Day

• No request form/pre-reservation needed
• Check-in at Museum of Natural Curiosity or Museum of Ancient Life
  • $6 per person at Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life & Ashton Gardens (seasonal)
  • $4 per person at Farm Country
• Facilitated educational activities in the venues by our staff
• Must arrive between 10am-3pm
• Must provide homeschool certification at check-in
• See FAQ for more info and upcoming Home/Online School Day dates
• Join our Home School and Online Education mailing list HERE. 

Discovery Field Trip

• $6 per student and adult
  • Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life, Ashton Gardens (seasonal)
• $4 per student and adult
  • Farm Country
• One teacher/coordinator admitted free at all venues
• Chaperone ratio requirements apply based on grade/group
• 3-hour, self-guided admission to one venue (includes lunch time)
• Anyone coming on a membership needs to check in separately and not be included in the number of students/adults on the request form

REQUEST DISCOVERY FIELD TRIP

Although the venues at Thanksgiving Point offer a wide variety of activities, we encourage all teachers to come on a field trip with a purpose for their students to learn something new. Please view the following resources to help prepare for your field trip:

• Student Guides available HERE
• Teacher Guides available HERE
• Chaperone Guides available HERE

If you are coming BY BUS

• Please stay on the bus, our staff will come on board to give instructions to the students.
• Chaperones will be given wrist-bands for themselves and to help put onto the students
• One staff will escort the main teacher inside to complete the check-in with final number of students and adults for final payment.

If you are coming in INDIVIDUAL CARS

• Please have your group gather outside the main entrance of the venue
• One staff will escort the main teacher inside to complete the check-in with final numbers of students and adults for final payment
• One staff will stay to give information and distribute wrist-bands before being admitted to the venue.

• The Mammoth Movie Theater is located inside the Museum of Ancient Life (please be aware of distance/travel time from other venues if selected as an add-on)
• $4 per student
• 1 free adult per class
• All other adults charged $6 each
• Can be a separate field trip or an add-on to another venue field trip (indicate on form)
• Movie schedules changes every few months; check online or with our office
• Movies play every hour on the half hour starting at 10:30 AM
• Movies are 45 minutes long
• Theater can seat 300 people

REQUEST MOVIE FIELD TRIP

• All field trips not being sponsored by a scholarship are required to pay a 50% deposit based on the predicted number of students (and adults for Discovery Field Trips).
• 50% deposit is paid on a date determined by Education Department. Receipt is sent via email with field trip confirmation and contract.
• Remaining balance is paid for on the day of the field trip at the venue and will be based on actual number of students (and adults for Discovery Field Trips)
• Early payments on remaining balance are not accepted. Must be paid on the day of the field trip at the venue.
• Deposits can be paid for with cash, a credit card (via phone) or with a check from the school
• Receipt for deposit will be sent to teacher (& school secretary) via email with field trip contract document
• For all refunds, the $20 processing fee applies
• Any refund less than $20 will not be given
• See Policies and Procedures for more information.

• Ratio Requirements are as follows for all field trips:
  • PK-6 Grade: 1:4 ratio
  • 7-8 Grade: 1:6 ratio
  • 9-12 Grade: 1:10 ratio
  • CEE Field Trips: 1:10 ratio
  • Mammoth Movie Theater: one free adult per class
  • Special Needs students: up to a 1:1 ratio if needed with prior notice
• Groups that arrive without the required ratio will jeopardize their admission to the venue.
• Extra chaperones beyond the ratio requirement for Explorer, Explorer Plus, and CEE field trips will be charged regular adult admission price.
• Chaperones are expected to supervise and engage with the students at all times during the field trip.

• You may select the Explorer field trip rate under High School
• $4 per preschool student and high school student
• One free adult per class
• All other policies apply

We can allow up to a 1:1 ratio for adults (free) to special needs students with prior notice (include in Notes on request form or call 801-768-4971).

Field Trip Scholarships

(All funding has been distributed for 2018-2019; Funding for 2019-2020 will be available on July 1, 2019).

Thanks to generous donors and funds received from the Utah State Office of Educators Informal Science Education Enhancement (iSEE), Thanksgiving Point can extend scholarships to public schools and public charter schools to visit one Thanksgiving Point venue (once per school year, per grade) while scholarship funding is available. 

• Title 1 Schools
  • Title 1 Scholarship Available for grades K-12 (limited funded; first-come, first-serve)
  • Available only for field trips scheduled to occur between September and March
  • Not available for field trips scheduled to occur between April and August
  • Covers admission cost for students (adults free within ratio requirement; extra adults charged regular adult admission price)
  • Scholarship Request Form must be submitted in addition to the Field Trip Request Form
• iSEE Scholarship
  • Available to all public and charter schools for grades K-12 (limited funding; first-come, first-serve)
  • Available for field trips scheduled to occur between September and March
  • Not available for field trips scheduled to occur between April and August
  • Covers admission cost for students (adults free within ratio requirement; extra adults charged regular adult admission price)
  • Scholarship Request Form must be submitted in addition to the Field Trip Request Form
• Utah County Scholarship
  • Available only to the following:
    • 1^st Grade in Nebo District
    • 2^nd Grade in Provo District
    • 3^rd Grade in Alpine District
  • Available only for an Explorer Field Trip on a Wednesday to the Museum of Natural Curiosity
  • Available for field trips scheduled between September - May.
  • Covers admission cost for students. Adults free within ratio requirement, including teachers. 

Twice a year Thanksgiving Point offers a Home and Online School Education Day. Enjoy facilitated educational activities in each of our venues designed to give students opportunities to discover scientific concepts for themselves. Come explore the curious wonders of the Museum of Natural Curiosity or roam through the dinosaurs in the Museum of Ancient Life. Meet the farm animals at Farm Country or choose to visit the stately gardens at the Ashton Gardens!

Upcoming Dates:

Rescheduled: Wednesday, February 27^th 2019

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

10:00am-3:00pm

Aston Gardens are closed in February. The Butterfly Biosphere will be included in our Fall Education Day.

Benefits for coming to our special Home and Online School Educational Day:

• No other field trips are scheduled for those days.
• Special educational activities at the museum to engage your students in scientific curiosity.
• No pre-registration required.
• Special rate of $6 per person for Museum of Natural Curiosity and Museum of Ancient Life. Special rate at Farm Country is $4.

Requirements for the special rate:

• Show your state certification upon arrival at the registration table in the lobby of Museum of Natural Curiosity or Museum of Ancient Life.
• If you plan on going to Farm Country, please check in first at the registration table in the lobby of Museum of Ancient Life or Museum of Natural Curiosity.
• If you wish to attend on a different date, please see the information under “Preschools, Clubs, Camps and Community Groups” and preregister for your selected date.

Changes are being made to the Teacher Sneak Peek! Soon you will be able to register online before coming to the venue of your choice to preview for the field trip. You will then receive a pass to get you and a guest into the venue of your choosing. When you arrive at the venue, you will need to present the pass and your Utah K-12 teacher ID. No more forms to fill out at the front desk! More information regarding online information coming soon.

Until then, in order to be admitted on a Teacher Sneak Peek you must bring a copy of the field trip contract for your upcoming scheduled field trip along with your current teacher ID to the front desk of the venue you will be visiting with your school/students. The Teacher Sneak Peek is not available for field trips that have already occurred.

The Teacher Sneak Peek is currently accepted at the Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, The Museum of Natural Curiosity and the Ashton Gardens (seasonal).  Starting in the fall of 2019, the Teacher Sneak Peek will also be available at Butterfly Biosphere! 

BLACK OUT DATES: Teacher Sneak Peeks will not be accepted during the Tulip Festival, Outdoor Movie Series, Storytelling Festival, or during any special ticketed events. 

Teacher Educator's Day

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Educator's, we value your efforts to give your students opportunities to explore science outside the classroom. During Teacher Educator's Day, you can experience for yourself what Thanksgiving Point has to offer your students at the Museum of Natural Curiosity, Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country and Ashton Gardens.

Admission is free on this date for all educators with current school identification and you may arrive any time between 3:00 pm-7:00 pm. Please check-in in the lobby of Museum of Ancient Life or Museum of Natural Curiosity to get your free pass. Bring your fellow educators to visit our wonderfully diverse venues to see how our exhibits and immersive environments correlate to the state standards for your grade and how our programs can support and enhance your good work in the classroom.

Learn about self-guided and facilitated K-12 field trips, scholarships to help with the cost of visiting Thanksgiving Point, free statewide outreach programs for 3^rd and 8^th grades, USU Science Kits for checkout, and the ECO Challenge high school environmental science program. Check our state standard-related activities that are a part of Explorer PLUS facilitated field trips offered at each venue and explore our spaces to get inspiration for bringing science to life for your students.

Thanksgiving Point does not have any official place for large groups to eat lunch.

• Public parks near Thanksgiving Point are a good alternative to eating on property. These areas have table, pavilions and playgrounds. Here are some local parks you might want to look into:
  • Olympic Park – 2650 W Parkside Dr, Lehi
  • Greens Park – 1832 W 1600 N St, Lehi
  • Bandwagon Park – 900 N 300 W, Lehi
  • Bluffdale Lions Park – 14400 S, Bluffdale
• The cafes and restaurants cannot accommodate field trip groups.
• If you do choose to eat on property, please bring garbage bags to throw your trash away and then ask a staff member where dumpsters are located.

• Museum of Ancient Life Field Trip lunch area:
  • There is a cement area out front of the museum or a grassy tree area down by the big red barn that could work for eating lunches.
  • You may eat on the second-floor mezzanine area of the lobby of the Museum with prior notice BUT you must eat on the floor in the area with the mural paintings and NOT in the walk space by the elevator, restrooms, and door to our department office.
  • Please bring your own trash bags and clean up thoroughly.
• Farm Field Trip lunch area:
  • There is not enough space or enough trash cans in Farm Country to accommodate large groups for lunch.
  • Field trips are welcome to eat their lunch in the open field area across the street from the main entrance or other open areas around Farm Country.
  • Bring your own trash bags. Ask staff the location of the dumpster to dispose of trash.
  • Do not feed the animals your lunch food.
  • There is no place to eat indoors.
• Museum of Natural Curiosity Field Trip lunch area:
  • There is NO place to eat inside the Museum or the Discovery Garden.
  • There is NO food allowed in the Museum or the Discovery Garden
  • Please do not try to eat in the lobby. You will be asked to relocate. 
  • There are a few picnic tables and a grassy area across the parking lot of the Museum which schools may use
  • Bring your own trash bags and clean up thoroughly.
  • Ask staff for location of dumpsters
• Ashton Gardens Field Trip lunch area:
  • Schools are welcome to eat on the large lawn area in front of the entrance of the main building.
  • Schools may eat lunch in the Waterfall Amphitheater only, but all schools are responsible for the transport of their lunches and trash.
  • There is no space to store lunches
  • The dumpsters are located on the west end of the Greenhouse (ask staff for location if needed)