Thanksgiving Point may be adding a man-made, indoor rainforest, a sailing ship and kid-sized town to it's list of attractions.

All three are slated to be part of a $20 million, 30,000-square-foot children's museum which will be build next to the Children's Discovery Garden.

"The vision of Thanksgiving Point has long included plans for a Children's Museum," said Mike Washburn, Thanksgiving Point Institute CEO, when he shared plans for the museum with the Lehi Area Chamber of Commerce at a Feb. 6 meeting.

Jennifer Stevens, institute director of development, will oversee developing the museum project, Washburn said.

"Jennifer's experience in fundraising will be crucial as we begin funding and developing this resource for our community," he said in a press release.

Part of the fundraising has already begun. An anonymous donor from American Fork gave an undisclosed amount to make it possible to begin the project, Washburn said. The institute will be seeking more donations to help facilitate project construction.

But while Washburn is talking about the project, he said he isn't ready to announce anything yet.

"We are making a quiet, quiet announcement," he said. "We still have the fundraising to do."

He did tell the Chamber of Commerce members that the target age for the nonprofit venue will be from 3 to 12 years old. Architect Frank Ferguson is designing the building.

"There will be a 'Waterworks Voyage' in the museum with a sailing ship and lots of opportunity to get wet," Washburn said. "The Kidopolis Life' will allow them to be a firefighter, a banker, a construction worker, a myriad of careers."

A three-story-high tree as part of a manmade rainforest with lots of jumping and climbing for children will be another of the museum attractions, he said, adding that the new children's museum will complement the institute's existing North American Museum of Ancient Life museum.

He said the Thanksgiving Point Institute hopes to have the museum open sometime in 2010. The overall reaction to his announcement at the Chamber meeting was positive.

"I thought it was fantastic, a wonderful thing for families to do that is right in our back yard," Chris Belcher, Lehi Area Chamber chair, said. "I see it as bringing people from around the state to the city and as a result more restaurants would evolve, more gas stations, more exposure to local businesses."