White Post, Virginia: Dinosaur Land

Admission to Dinosaur Land is $4 for kids, $5 for adults for spring 2012. Very cute/fun. Worth the stop. Creative!

The thrill of Dinosaur Land has proven to be quite romantic. When I was a kid I loved the many creatures that "live" there, so as a young adult it was a no-brainer to bring my boyfriend back for the Dinosaur Land experience. As we ran around the park, there were many photo ops where Ben could save me from the brutal beasts. The park has an ageless effect on its visitors, where kids and adults become equals in the attempts to bring their newfound creatures to life. I have many fond memories there, but what will always stay with me is my time with King Kong. The ape of all apes was no match for us, but in the end we made a truce.

I would like to thank Dinosaur Land for bringing America a piece of '60s childhood wonder, that "children" of all generations can enjoy.

A couple times while I was walking through Dinosaur Land, I heard skittering noises above me and looked up to see a squirrel poking its head out of a dinosaur's jaws.

I suppose the squirrels there have figured out the defense mechanism of scaring off enemies by hiding inside what appears to be a fearsome predator.

Dinosaurland - now called "Dinosaurland Inc." - has repainted all its animals (with variable results; for example, while the giant Octopus looks better than ever, the giant shark looks like it's been tagged by a street gang). By the way, when visiting Dinosaurland, be sure to visit Mr. B's BBQ, just north of Dinosaurland on 340.)

I visited Dinosaur Land with my father recently, who first took me there in 1972. In the 30 years since I last visited the attraction, I can honestly say not much has changed, at least that I remember. The two big dinosaurs out front are still there with plenty of guardrail protecting their legs.

A brief chat with the lady that runs the cash register provided some updates: King Kong has his airplane back in his right hand after it was stolen some time ago by vandals. And a retired man "a couple towns over" has been repairing the dinos and will be building new dinos for the park in the very near future - two are nearly complete!

I paid the $5 to check out the back lot and I'm glad I did. The dinos, for the most part, look great. The trail was a bit muddy after recent rains, but I think it added a touch of reality.