Deep in the heart of Apple Valley, CA is an incredible roadside attraction that was never finished and now lies in ruins. Rancho Dinosaur would have been a giant swampy dinosaur filled miniature golf course. The park was built by Lonnie Coffman in the 60's and 70's but eventually abandoned by him after years of labor.
Now the dinosuars are slowly bleaching and falling apart in the hot desert sun. Desert owls nest in the hollow head of the apatosaurus. But still they are a monument to one man's prehistoric dream.
6 comments:
If I were rich I'd spread tons of dinosaurs around my city. They'd be covered in graffiti in a couple of hours, but I'd do it anyway!
At first, I thought these were the Cabazon dinosaurs. I want to go photograph them soon (although I'm waiting a few months until I turn 21, so I can actually get a room to stay in out in Palm Springs!)
There's a place in Plant City, Florida (just outside of Tampa) called Dinosaur World that has life-sized statues of dinosaurs scattered around a densly wooded park. Your post reminds me of it.
My kids love Dinosaur World for the statues and the fun activities. I like it because it's an old fashioned type of theme park - no rides just a relaxing park with a picnic area, playground and hundreds of dinosaurs.
There's one in Cave City, Kentucky too.
http://dinoworld.net/
Nice set of photos! There's something really cool about old concrete dinosaurs!
Oh, I love this place!
I used to live right next to these concrete dinos. I always thought it was neat to look out my back window and see them out there. It's unfortunate that they weren't used as something more like what they were intended for. The town that they are in is not as it once was, but it's nice to venture further out where these creatures are and appreciate the desert landscape.
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