Dinosaurland

Originally started as a small gift shop, Dinosaurland’s owner took inspiration from a local mini-golf course’s prehistoric statuary and began building his own in the late 1960s. After a number of the homemade beasts were created, the gift shop was officially retitled “Dinosaurland” and a new sign mimicking the “Disneyland” sign was added. The shop’s owner continued to add new statues as the decades went by, like aggressive Tyrannosaurses and doe-eyed Stegosauruses. The skewed proportions and fantastic posing remained while Dinosaurland branched out slightly, adding such eye-catchers such as a King Kong statue (20 feet tall) and a Jaws statue (60 feet tall).

The park now contains over 50 creatures which have weathered and chipped over the years, but the unmistakable style of an artisan building out of his imagination still permeates the concrete menagerie. The gift shop is extensive now, offering every kind of touristy chintz imaginable.