Museum Opens Two STEM Spaces for Young Kids

Thanksgiving Point added Bridges from Me to You and Teamwork in the Wee Jungle to its Museum of Natural Curiosity.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Philanthropy

Wooden bridge model with arched spans on an oak floor in a bright museum gallery, with colorful building blocks softly blurred behind it. — Thanksgiving Point opened two new STEM Discovery Spaces at its Lehi Museum of Natural Curiosity, backed by the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Thanksgiving Point opened two new STEM Discovery Spaces at its Museum of Natural Curiosity in Lehi. The spaces, Bridges from Me to You and Teamwork in the Wee Jungle, were made possible through support from the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation.

Why it matters

The openings expand hands-on science learning for children at the museum, which runs more than 170 daily STEM discovery programs. The exhibit honoring Merrick Betterton reflects a family's tribute to a child who died in 2022.

Thanksgiving Point operates more than 170 daily STEM discovery programs, and Teamwork in the Wee Jungle is designed for children ages 3 and younger. The announcement did not disclose the financial value of the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation's support or visitor projections for the new spaces.

The players

Thanksgiving Point

Thanksgiving Point is a Lehi, Utah destination known for its museums, gardens, and family programming.

Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation

The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation is a philanthropic foundation associated with the Miller family, whose members have supported Utah community institutions.

The details

Bridges from Me to You uses interactive challenges to encourage creative problem-solving and explores how bridges connect people and cultures while introducing engineering principles. Teamwork in the Wee Jungle uses hands-on experiences to introduce early STEM concepts to the youngest visitors.

Merrick Betterton died in 2022 at the age of two.
Thanksgiving Point announced the opening of the two STEM Discovery Spaces on Nov. 4, 2026.

Philanthropy Pattern

The gift follows the Miller family's pattern of funding Utah children's education institutions through the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. The new spaces extend Thanksgiving Point's established STEM discovery programming to visitors as young as toddlers.

Families visiting Thanksgiving Point in Lehi can now bring children ages 3 and younger to Teamwork in the Wee Jungle. The Bridges from Me to You space gives older children a hands-on way to explore engineering concepts during their visit.

The takeaway

Hands-on early science exhibits give young children a low-barrier way to build curiosity about how things work. Families planning a visit to Thanksgiving Point can look for these new spaces within the Museum of Natural Curiosity.