Dinosaur Park - Rapid City, South Dakota - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

DINOSAUR PARK has five life-sized prehistoric reptiles modeled in cement on the hillside. The reptiles are believed to have inhabited this region more than 40,000,000 years ago during the Mesozoic era. The idea of the park was conceived by Dr. C.C. O'Harra, late president of the State School of Mines and nationally known authority on geology and paleontology. Sponsored by Rapid City, the park was built with Works Progress Administration aid. The monstrous prehistoric creatures represented are the Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Trachodon. E.A. Sullivan, Rapid City Attorney and sculptor, was the designer; Dr. Barnum Brown, curator of the American Museum of Natural History, served as consultant. Fossils of these reptiles have been found in the Black Hills and Badlands regions of South Dakota; footprints of the Tyrannosaurus rex were found two miles N. of the park on the same range of hills and removed to Dinosaur Park.

At the right are the lumbering TRICERATOPS and TYRANNOSAURUS REX waging combat. The Triceratops, with features resembling the present-day rhinocerous and elephant, was a land reptile with heavy scales on its back; as reproduced it is 27 ft. long and 11 ft. high, with 40-in. horns. A head of this reptile was found in the Badlands 40 miles SE., and is on exhibit at the School of Mines Museum. The Tyrannosaurus rex, resembling a kangaroo, was the only carnivorous reptile of the group; swift-moving on its large hind legs, it probably roared through the swamps in pursuit of small animals. It had from 64 to 70 teeth, some of them six inches long. The figure has been reproduced 35 ft. long and 16 ft. high with a head 41 in. long. The BRONTOSAURUS, center, was the largest of prehistoric reptiles, and this reproduction is larger than any previous. However, there is no exaggeration, since it is reproduced exactly to the measurements of fossils in the American Museum of Natural History. This amphibian lived in the water, weighed about 15 tons, and was preyed upon by smaller animals. As reproduced it is 80 ft. long and 28 ft. high, and can be seen for 35 miles. The STEGOSAURUS (L) was a smaller reptile with large dermal plates protruding from its back, and from four to eight horns on its tail for protection. Comparatively little is known about this peculiar looking reptile which has been reproduced 11 ft. long and 7 ft. high. The TRACHODON, known as the "Duck Bill," had some features of both a duck and a kangaroo. It was a herbivorous reptile with web feet and a large bill; the reproduction is 17 ft. high and 33 ft. long.

Dinosaur Park was built in hopes of attracting tourists visiting nearby Mt. Rushmore. Now these dinosaurs look cartoonish to us, but in 1936 this was what they were thought to look like.

Little has changed since the guide wrote this detailed description of the park. In the 1950's the dinosaurs were changed from a grey color to bright green with white stomachs. In 1990 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The park is free, as it has been for the past 70 years and can be visited during daylight hours. It is built on a steep hillside so those with mobility issues will find a visit challenging.

The view is incredible at night, so be sure to come and see the lights of the city below. The dinos look better at night too. Kind of creepy. Look in the photo gallery for the night pictures that I uploaded.