Giant, roadside dinosaurs featured in Hollywood movies offer visitors the chance to go inside and capture social-worthy photos.
I've always been a sucker for roadside attractions and this one has to be consideration one of the holy grails of quirky sights. Every time I visit Palm Springs, Palm Desert, or the Salton Sea, I buffer my trip by 20 minutes to get a glimpse of these icons.
While these two were always notable attractions for Southern California residents, they really hit it big when they were featured in the movie Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.
Unlike Pee-Wee, the dinosaurs have remained free of legal charges. The dinosaurs have also appeared in other movies such Paris, Texas and The Wizard as as well as music video including Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears.
The dinos were created by Claude Bell with the intent of drawing customers to a nearby restaurant, the Wheel Inn (which closed in 2013). Construction began on them in 1964 and the brontosaurus was finished in 1975 and the tyrannosaurus rex in 1986.
The brontosaurus, named Dinny, is 150 feet long and houses a gift shop inside that is free to the public during operating hours. Mr. Rex, the tyrannosaurus rex, stands 65 feet tall and can be entered via entrance to the "Dinosaur Adventure," which features over 50 smaller dinosaurs and access to climb all of the way up into the T-Rex mouth.
Know Before You Go
Cabazon temperatures can easily top 100 degrees in the summer & fall seasons - bring plenty of water.
There seems to be ample free parking on site.
Visiting Dinny's (brontosauras) Gift Shop is free of charge, however there is an entrance fee to climb Mr. Rex and see the smaller dinos (roughly $11-$13 per person).
There is a fast food restaurant, gas station, and sit-down restaurant on site.
An Outlet Mall and casino are nearby, easily making a full day trip out of a visit.
Resources
Location
Easily accessible moments off of the 15 Freeway. Free Parking on site.
Video
The video below was shot with a drone, providing some aerial views of the dinosaurs. While I would like some more ambitious footage, there are many pedestrians walking the grounds and I do not want to put their safety at risk.
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