Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point — Attraction in Lehi

I went with a group of friends years ago. So much has changed since then..some good -some very bad. I went last year with two passes that were given to us by a good friend. That is the only way we would have been able to go . The price is beyond belief. Way too high. And I can't forget when the Ashton's announced they were going to build this- they stated that it was "their way to give back to the community." Right - give back to the community when they are charging ridiculously exorbitant ticket prices. I don't know how most families can afford to do this. Of course some are given tickets by way of gifts, promotions, and employement. When we went last year, many of the tulips were already dug up, others were dead. It was not even the end of the tulip festival. Doing away with a miltary discount for current members of the military was another blackmark-you either support our military or you don't. You showed your true colors and lack of patriotism and gratitude for the military. When asked about a senior discount we were told we could buy an annual pass...( like we could afford that!) What a joke. I was stunned beyond belief two years ago when I called to ask about handicapped accessbility. There was no such thing for the gardens or the Light of the World displays! How is that even legal? So you don't appreciate the military, you don't appreciate the seniors, you don't support groups or lower income people. It is all very beautiful... but not at those prices. Not only that ... why should adults pay for overpriced tickets to the Discovery Museum... just to watch their kids or grankids play? Adults should be free if they are only there to supervise/watch children. Many years ago the Ashton's went to Orem City with their hands out begging for city funds to build the Center For Story-which was an addition to the existing library.They insisted that the city do this. Then they started the Timpangos Story Telling Festival- again asking Orem to fund it. Next it was moved from the Library and Scera property to where it is now. Again .. they begged for tax breaks etc etc etc. After getting all that money and tax breaks from the city -they suddenly moved it all out to Thanksgiving Point. Just another case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Multi millionaries insisting on handouts, tax breaks and other favors, only to enrich themselves is nauseating. For years now, they even charge to take pictures at Thanksgiving Point. They did not "give back" they took. Our taxes paid for all this-and yet we are expected to enrich them even more by paying over the top prices for all they have "built." Orem citizens who have lived here the whole time this was going on should at least be given a 50 %...

I usually love these gardens and I will give it 5 stars every time I go there, but this time I only give it 2 stars. The reason is because last time we were therefor the 2019 tulip festival the second week of April, we were a little upset. We purchased little bags containing fish food. Very inexpensive. I think each bag was $1.00 each, no biggy. But guess what? When we went over to the pond to feed the fish, they were gone! Usually there are tons of beautiful orange, white, all colors fish swimming all over the place. This time we saw maybe two fish who were not interested at all in the fish food. Yeah, there was fish food floating all over the water. Where the heck are the fish? Did they die? Honestly, I’m concerned about the fish and sad mainly. But also upset that they are selling fish food and there are no fish. Why would you guys do that? nad then when we tried to return the fish food, two little bags that were a total of $2.00, thanksgiving point people gave us a hard time and made us waste our time. And no one knew what happened to the fish when we asked. It would have been a wonderful day but thanks to this incident, the days was ruined and we paid $50.00 to get into your gardens. No fair. Please don’t sell fish food if there are no fish. Please don’t be stingy when we need to return something that you should not be selling. please communicate with your employees, how come no one knows what happened to the Fish? And please, offer better customer service when people need to return something and they have a good reason, like fish food when there are no fish around. Let us know when the fish come back and I’ll be more than happy to buy that...

Visited during Fourth of July weekend. When we asked the clerk at the admissions desk how much tickets would be for the gardens versus the other ticket options, he rolled his eyes and pointed at the screen, and refused to verbally communicate. For sixty bucks for two people to walk around the gardens only, I expected better service. Before you can enter the gardens, you have to agree to a liability waiver. The waiver includes things such as their ability to use your image in their marketing materials as well as your understanding that if you are injured or die on their property, it is not their fault. I have signed waivers before to go on amusement park rides, but to stroll through a garden makes me question what issue they clearly had in the past. After purchasing your ticket and signing the waiver, you are not allowed to enter until you show proof you signed. The waiver is then emailed to you. Again, I have never seen this in any other state, or at any other attraction location, so definitely makes you second guess what you have just signed up for that they feel the need to protect themselves so thoroughly. One of the main attractions we went for was the waterfall. Guess what? After spending 60 bucks, being treated rudely, and signing any liability away, the waterfall was bone dry. From the looks of the leaves, moss, and litter, it has been dry for a long time. At rates this high, they can afford to buy a pump. Would not recommend, and...