The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT

I recently took a short family trip to The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. The museum has an impressive collection of replicas, fossils, and dioramas on display. This is a good attraction for anyone in the Salt Lake area but it's a must for anyone who has ever been interested in dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. The Museum of Ancient Life isn't just one of the largest displays of mounted dinosaurs. As a matter of fact at the time of writing this article the museum at Thanksgiving Point is the largest display of mounted dinosaurs in the entire world.

Thanksgiving Point is easy to locate in Lehi just off of Interstate 15. The Museum of Ancient Life is one of the first buildings you see upon arriving at Thanksgiving Point. As you walk in you are immediately greeted by a large carnivorous fossil display. It's very impressive but only a hint at what is inside. Be sure not to miss the tornado machine off to the left side of the entrance. My brother in law had a fun time blowing the tornado away and watching it form back up.

As you enter the Museum there is a hands-on science activity room where children and adults are able to interact together with the exhibits. Some examples from this room are a basketball challenge that shows how your brain adjusts to changing perspective and a sort of air cannon that throws things up towards the ceiling.

As you continue on you come to a room that shows basic information about fossils and a large diorama of a paleontological dig site. One nice thing you will notice here is that the exhibits are clearly marked to tell you if you're allowed to touch them or not. This is something that may be handy to go over with any children in your party before you go into the museum. One thing that's interesting to the left corner as you walk into this room is a display that shows a real fossil and a replica. This is one of the displays that you are able to touch so that you can try to tell the real one from the replica.

Following the dig site diorama you can walk into or passed a room filled with stars and black lights. It's something that kids usually really find amusing and want to walk back around.

Next you are going to see several dioramas and then you will start to see the extensive fossil displays. Some creatures to look out for are of course the Tyrannosaurs Rex and the Utahraptor. Some of the most amazing displays are the Supersaurus and the Brachiosaurus . These are two massive dinosaurs that will astound you with their size. They both have their necks stretched out across the same room. If they had their necks going up it would have required several stories to be added onto the building. The Utahraptor is in the same room and there is a nice display of two Tyrannosauruses displayed in the following room.

If you are interested this is also the place to see some important historical fossils on loan from the nearby Brigham Young University. One interesting piece is the scapula of the Supersaurus which lead researchers to discover that species existence. There are two other authentic Supersaurus fossils on display in that area as well.

Another fun area around here is a massive sand box that has water continually flowing through it. Children and grown-ups alike have fun making scenes in the sand with small plastic dinosaurs and plants as the water shows a simplified version of the effects of erosion over time.

Outside of the exhibits you can go to see a 3D film in the "XanGo Mammoth-Screen 3D Theater." This was an experience that was well worth the price. We saw the film "Bugs-3D." It was narrated by Dame Judi Dench and ran about forty minutes in length. It was an entertaining and informative presentation. The 3D aspect made it really fun but maybe something that guests who are more squeamish about insects should avoid. They usually have other films to choose from if one doesn't strike your interest.

Just to go into the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-12 and seniors over 65. There is an additional fee to see a film in the "XanGo Mammoth-Screen 3D Theatre." It's cheaper to buy admission to both attractions at the same time if you have a little extra time to hang out. I would recommend this if you have two and a half to three hours. The combo package is $15 for an adult and $12 for children and seniors.

You can then go on to enjoy any of the several other attractions available at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.