Museum of Natural Curiosity opens its doors.

• Author: Stewart, Heather
• Position: Around Utah

Lehl - The MUSEUM OF NATURAL CURIOSITY opened its doors at THANKSGIVING POINT in May. The $28.5 million museum encompasses five exhibit areas with more than 400 interactive exhibits. One of the exhibit areas is the 5-acre Discovery Garden, making the museum the first in the state to incorporate indoor and outdoor features.

The Museum of Natural Curiosity has been on the drawing board for several years. Mike Washburn, president and CEO of Thanksgiving Point, says funds were allocated from the state of Utah. Utah County and the city of Lehi. but the bulk of the funding came from several foundations and private donors who stepped up to make the museum a reality.

The museum's Kidopolis exhibit is a tiny town with a health clinic, a vet, a theater, a bank, a dance studio, a library, an art studio and more. The Water Works exhibits let children explore science with water, wind, sun and earth. For example, the tornado feature lets visitors experience being inside a wind funnel. The Rainforest features ancient ruins and chambers, a 45-foot-tall monkey head, rope...