Recall a time when dinosaurs roamed this very land. Today, we stand before the Dinosaurs Sculpture in Santa Fe. It is a reminder of those ancient giants.
These Brontosaurus statues reside in an industrial park. They are near I-25. Larry Wilson created them. He used spray foam in the late 1980s.
New Mexico has a rich dinosaur history. Did you know New Mexico is home to six different dinosaur discoveries? Our state fossil, Coelophysis, was found at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu. It was also Georgia O’Keeffe’s home.
At Clayton Lake State Park, you can walk among dinosaur footprints. The park has over 500 tracks. These tracks were made by different dinosaurs. It is the largest single collection of dinosaur tracks in the area.
Dinosaurs walked erect. They did not drag their tails. We learned this from dinosaur tracks. We did not learn it from fossils.
In Clayton, there are three dinosaur statues. They stand in front of the Tourist Information Center. The triceratops lost a horn between 2007 and 2009. A fourth statue on a trailer was added by 2022. By 2024, all four statues were repaired and repainted.
Other New Mexico towns have dinosaur statues. Hatch has a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Glencoe also has a dinosaur statue. Albuquerque has bronze dinosaur sculptures at the New Mexico Natural History Museum. The Pentaceratops “Spike” was installed in 1985. The Albertosaurus “Alberta” was installed in 1988.
Let your imagination run wild. Think about these magnificent creatures that once roamed New Mexico. Dinosaurs Sculpture offers a glimpse into that prehistoric past. It connects us to the distant history.