Smithsonian.com

Dinosaurs are much more than real monsters that fire our imaginations, but, let’s face it, part of their persistent appeal is that many were enormous prehistoric oddities. And it’s just that aspect of dinosaurian nature that is raising ire in a historically-rich California town and on an Australian golf course.

San Juan Capistrano, California is famous for the local cliff swallows and the historic Spanish architecture, but the town has recently been in the news because of an unwelcome dinosaur. According to the LA Times, a huge sauropod statue erected in the town’s petting zoo has drawn the ire of those who seek to retain some semblance of southern California’s past. Where kids and the zoo’s owner sees the dinosaur as a fanciful distraction, local historians argue that the dinosaur is totally out of place with the rest of the town’s decor. The dinosaur is staying put for now, but may yet be removed if the city decides that there’s just no place for a dinosaur in a place where Californian history and modern life already mix.

A different dinosaur is frustrating Australia’s professional golfers. The wealthy owner of the Palmer Coolum Resort has installed a 26 foot long, animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex in the middle of the course. Along with other recent installations, ESPN reports, the dinosaur is expected to adversely affect the games of Australian PGA Championship golfers set to play there. With the resort’s owner promising more dinosaurs on the way, the sports group has decided to move the tournament elsewhere after this year. Whether a sauropod looks out of place is one thing–having a T. rex get in the way of your shot is another.

Not everyone is so bothered by giant dinosaurs, though. A Best Western hotel in Colorado is taking on an entirely prehistoric theme, including fossil casts and dinosaur sculptures. In addition to attracting tourists, the hotel’s owner says he wants to draw attention to Colorado’s exceptional fossil sites, such as the nearby track site at Dinosaur Ridge. Dinosaur sculptures are frustrating eyesores to some and paleo-vacation essentials to others.

Recyclosaurus rex, seen outside the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida. Photo courtesy of reader Wyrmwren.

Last month, we asked readers to vote for their favorite entry from all the weird and wonderful Dinosaur Sightings we’ve cataloged over the past few years. Naturally, though, there are even more roadside monsters out there. Readers quickly responded with a significant omission from our list–Tampa, Florida’s Recyclosaurus.

Reader Wyrmwren sent in this snapshot, writing “With so much to see and all the traffic, we almost missed him and had to go back for a closer look.” But this dinosaurian monument to recycling isn’t looking as good as it did when it was constructed in 1992. The mass of steel beams, plastic fencing and aluminum cans needs some touch-ups, and there’s a campaign to save the Recyclosaurus from extinction.

Have you seen a dinosaur or other prehistoric creature in an unusual place? Please send a photo to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.

Roger Cutler's wire Apatosaurus. Photo by Sarah Zielinski.

Today’s Dinosaur Sighting comes to us from friend of the blog Sarah Zielinski. While visiting the 10th floor of the Artomatic festival in Crystal City, Virginia, where she is an exhibitor, Sarah spotted the wire dinosaur creations of Roger Cutler. Along with an Allosaurus and a tiny Tyrannosaurus, Cutler created an eight-foot-high model of Apatosaurus—a scaled-down outline of the massive Jurassic herbivore.

Have you seen a dinosaur or other prehistoric creature in an unusual place? Please send a photo to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.

A Tyrannosaurus stands over the remains of an abandoned mini-golf course. Photo courtesy Joe Peterson.

Dinosaurs and mini-golf: The two complement each other. Granted, dinosaurs probably wouldn’t have been very good at the pastime—imagine how hard it would be for Carnotaurus to use a putter—but they make for excellent fairway decor. And in some places, the dinosaurs remain even after the mini-golf course has closed. Paleontologist Joe Peterson sent in this example: a Tyrannosaurus standing over a closed course in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Maybe it’s just the position of the hands, but the tyrant seems to be begging. “MOAR TASTY TOURISTS, PLZ?”

Have you seen a dinosaur or other prehistoric creature in an unusual place? Please send a photo to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.

A metallic, skeletal "Brontosaurus" at a Blanding, Utah Sinclair station. Photo by the author.

Dinosaurs are a common sight along Utah’s roadways. Sinclair stations still display their iconic “Brontosaurus” on signs, and a rarer few have a little dinosaur sculpture out front. And one aged station in Blanding, Utah created its own version of the dinosaurian mascot. While traveling from Salt Lake City to Albuquerque, New Mexico by way of Blanding’s Dinosaur Museum, I spotted the skeletal dinosaur browsing from a tree on the sidewalk. I had to stop and snap a photo—I always brake for dinosaurs.

Have you seen a dinosaur or other prehistoric creature in an unusual place? Please send a photo to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.