Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? From a very young age, children seem to be fascinated by everything to do with these prehistoric beasts. During this time that children spend playing, they gain a better understanding of the natural world. This sense of wonder continues long after childhood, in fact some of these amateur paleontologists even grow up to become the experts who study them today!
Did you know that as of September 2008, over 1,040 different species of feathered and non-feathered dinosaurs have been named and cataloged? Even now more are being discovered every year.
Even though we know quite a lot about Dinosauria, exactly how many millions of years ago dinosaurs roamed the earth is still being debated. Right now scientists say somewhere between 245 and 233 million years ago.
The Exciting World of Dinosaurs at Sinclair Dinoland
Have you even heard of Sinclair’s Dinoland? This huge exhibit was the talk of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. Since Sinclair Oil used a brontosaurus (now called an Apatosauraus excelsus) as their mascot, it gave them the idea to use dinosaurs as their feature exhibit for the World’s Fair.
Sinclair published a 16 page brochure to go along with the exhibit. It described the type of life-size dinosaurs exhibited, background on the company and why “Sinclair Oil is the best.” Although the Brontosaurus lived about 65 million years ago, and went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, visitors could enjoy replicas of the Brontosaurus and other dinosaurs which were huge. They were created using fiberglass by the distinguished animal sculptor, Louis Paul Jones. Each dinosaur was painted in colors that were thought of as “realistic” at the time and set in its own terrain with flora from the correct geological period.
There were nine dinosaurs in total in the exhibit – all North American dinos. While the smallest of the statues, the Ornitholestes, went missing after the exhibit traveled the country, the rest of these huge replicas have found permanent homes in memorable locations in the United States.
Where are they now?
- The Brontosaurus and the Tyrannosaurus Rex can be found in Dinosaur Valley State Park, Texas.
- The Triceratops is at the Louisville Science Center, Kentucky.
- The Stegosaurus resides at the Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Utah.
- The Corythosaurus was displayed in a lagoon, and now rests at Riverside Park in Kansas.
- The Ankylosaurus is in the Huston Museum of Natural Science, Texas.
- The Struthiomimus, six feet long, can be found in the Milwaukee Public Museum in Wisconsin.
- And finally, the Trachodon at 38 feet long, is located at Brookfield Zoo, near Chicago, Illinois.
Another very cool feature of the Sinclair Oil New York World’s Fair exhibit was the introduction of the Mold-A-Rama machines that injected liquid plastic into molds to form a dinosaur souvenir while you watched. You can still find these original Mold-A-Rama machines over fifty years later in museums and zoos in five states. Many of the original plastic figures of the World’s Fair dinosaurs have been lost or damaged so that now the dinos produced from these machines have become a sought after collectables on auction websites.
When Dinosaurs Ruled the World
You don’t have to travel far to take a step into the past and celebrate the return of the dinosaurs! Discover life-sized dinos, babies hatching from eggs, create your very own Jurassic Park or discover historic remains; here at Design Toscano you will find all you need to get started.
Our realistically sculpted “speedy thief” the Velociraptor, Jurassic-sized Dinosaur Statue (NE110015) stands sixty-two inches high and really isn’t too hard to catch if you act fast. This meat-eating reptile replica with spiky teeth and claws will be a terrifying addition to any landscape.
If you have a lot of space and are looking for something gigantic to fill it, check out our over-seven foot tall herbivore, Boris the Brontosaurus Garden Dinosaur Statue (NG32470). His predecessor wandered the grasslands, grazing from trees millions of years ago and now this wondrous Design Toscano exclusive attracts amazed attention and countless photographs when he finds his place in your world.
For smaller gardens try our Scaled Jurassic series, like the T-Rex Raptor Dinosaur Statue (JQ6173). These scaled dinosaurs are not to be ignored! They will attract just as much attention as their larger cousins, so realistic looking with sharp claws and teeth that they have been known to stop people in their tracks.
What a marvel to come upon a nest of dino eggs that are just beginning to hatch. Our Baby Dinosaur Eggs Hatchling Statue Set (QM92728000) looks like someone just slipped them in their pockets and carried them home. Since Toscano discovered them we have been acting as caretaker until they go to a good home. Both the Baby Brachiosaurus – who will grow to be the tallest – and a Baby Tyrannosaurus – who will grow to be the fiercest – are breaking out of the their shells and looking for new and lifelong dino lovers.
Who doesn’t want to find a dinosaur?
Budding paleontologists young and old can unearth their own Raptor Skeleton Garden Sculpture (DB383021). Direct from the Mesozoic Era, anyone would be surprised and pleased to discover this 2 foot long, three-piece Raptor skeleton hidden right at the back of your garden landscaping or in your child’s sand box.
Leave no bone unturned! This Gigantic Dinosaur Bone Sculpture (NG32762) is forty-three inches of incredible dino bone that has most experts baffled. A wonderful addition to the yard of budding scientists looking to unlock the secrets of survival.
Searching for dinosaurs and discovering how they lived is like stepping back in time! Design Toscano’s Dinosaur Statue collection has many more amazing examples of dinosaurs of all types and sizes just check our website www.DesignToscano.com for all your prehistoric needs.