- Please follow link to my flickr set: 'Prehistoric Gardens, 3.29.09'
(29 photos)
Prehistoric Gardens is a roadside tourist attraction nestled in lush rainforest next to
U.S. 101 on the Oregon Coast Highway,
just a few miles south of the small town of
Port Orford and Humbug Mountain State Park, not quite 50 miles north of the California border.
Since 1953, visitors here have wandered among an assortment of full-sized dinosaur statues that look quite at home in this primeval paradise.
I was a toddler when my folks first brought me by, one Summer vacation en route to Grandma's house, long, long ago.
My innate love for 'dinosaur stuff' was fostered by further visits over the years, in an age when there was much less fodder available for the young dino-enthusiast.
Since the onset of my adult (?) years (also long ago), visits to Prehistoric Gardens have become much less frequent.
Twice a decade, maybe, if I'm lucky.
For me, it's still a thrilling and magical place.
The dinosaurs are like old friends, and it's always great to check in with them again, to see how they've changed (and so, how I've also changed) and to see what remains just the same.
Yes, the dinosaurs are still the big draw, but what really makes the place precious to me (and many others,
I'm sure) is the verdant setting.
All the best shades of Oregonian green, soft coastal air, and a spectacular array of rich and thriving foliage. At its very least, a perfect tonic for the road-weary traveler.
Things were quiet and soggy there during this most recent trip through. I was excited to see some of the dinosaurs dressed in new colors since my last visit.
As I once again walked around and said hello and grinned and breathed, I once again shot a batch of photos. I was very aware that I was likely shooting new versions of the same snapshots I'd taken several times before, so I tried to concentrate just a wee bit more upon the setting and not merely the subjects.
- Please follow link to my flickr set:
'Prehistoric Gardens, 3.29.09'
Hope you enjoy.
A few links for your further investigation:
- Also on flickr, TimSpfd's Prehistoric Gardens photo set has splendid shots of the park from 2002, featuring much better views of the dinosaurs than I've provided here, sporting that previous round of 'extreme' paint jobs. He also provides further PG flickr links of interest.
- Mary H's Prehistoric Gardens Fansite has some great pictures that go back further still to even earlier color schemes.
- Prehistoric Gardens listed at
Roadside Oddities and at
Roadside America.Com.
Prehistoric Gardens is a roadside tourist attraction nestled in lush rainforest next to 
Since the onset of my adult (?) years (also long ago), visits to Prehistoric Gardens have become much less frequent. 
Things were quiet and soggy there during this most recent trip through. I was excited to see some of the dinosaurs dressed in new colors since my last visit. 
