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Oregon Dinosaurs (page 1)

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Thunderbeast Park
Chiloquin, OR
Thunderbeast Park was a dinosaur park built in 1962 that focused on the less known dinosaur species. There were about a dozen statues. It is believed that Ernie Nelson was the artist behind these figures. He built the statues for the Prehistoric Gardens in Port Orford, OR (see below). The Park went bankrupt in the 1990s and many of the dinosaurs were sold. The rest of them sat abandoned for many years. In 2000, the property was bought by Hub City Chrome. In addition to this statue by the road, there are a few dilapidated dinosaurs behind the building. However, the owners are not at all welcoming to visitors wishing to take photos. By 2021, the statue's head was missing. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Prehistoric Gardens
Port Orford, OR
The Prehistoric Gardens were created by Ernie V. Nelson, an amateur paleontologist, and opened in 1953. The place was once also known as "Ernie's Zoo". It has a jungle-like, rain forest atmosphere and about 22 brightly painted, life-sized dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Nelson spent over 40 years creating these figures. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Oregon Dinosaurs
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