Dino Parks

Dinosaurs have captured the imaginations of people for centuries now, and are not only bridges to the general public for scientific knowledge, but also a source of fun entertainment, especially for the younger crowds. This is exemplified especially in Dino Parks, and indeed, may be where the general public’s fascination in dinosaurs even began.

What is a Dino Park? Typically, what defines a Dino Park is a park, garden, or generally outdoorsy area that is populated by life-sized dinosaur statues. This is to evoke what it might really mean to wander into one of these creatures, were they still alive, while also depicting them in their (somewhat) natural habitat.

Dino Parks began with the Crystal Palace Dinosaur Park back in 1854. These statues are now quite outdated, but still stand firmly in the Crystal Palace Park as a prime example of this specific kind of attraction. Since then, several Dino Parks have cropped up all around the globe. Some of these are in varyingly different qualities, but nonetheless—they are vital to the paleo ecosystem. Or… I just think they’re neat.

I’m sad to say I haven’t been to too many actual Dino Parks in my lifetime. I’ll still document what I can find, and maybe one day I’ll be able to say I’ve been to a proper one. Until then, I’m going to be covering mostly well-known parks, or ones that hit close to home.