West Palm Beach, Florida: Nuclear Dinosaur
A T-rex that looks circa 1964 World's Fair. Stood outside a Florida nuke plant beginning in the mid-1990s. Relocated here, and given a fresh coat of paint, in 2019.
South Florida Science Center
- Address:
- 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach, FL
- Directions:
- South Florida Science Center. From Summit Blvd, just east of the I-95 overpass, turn north onto Dreher Trail N. Follow it to the end. You'll see the T-rex on the left.
- Phone:
- 561-832-1988
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The dinosaur that stood outside the Homestead nuclear power plant has been moved to the South Florida Science Center in West Palm Beach. It now has a fresh coat of paint -- courtesy of artists from from Art in the Alley -- and stands at the front entrance to the museum, looking out over the parking lot.
[Sharon Halupka, 04/03/2019]In answer to Julie's question about the meaning of the dinosaur. There is indeed a dinosaur, standing erect as you pull into Turkey Point Power Plant. The original "small" one that Julie witnessed was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew and was replaced with an even bigger one! My next door neighbor works out there and was assigned the task of finding this replacement.
There are two (soon to be three) electricity generating plants at Turkey Point. The nuclear one and a fossil fuel plant. The dinosaur is a salute to the fossil one. Unfortunately, thanks to 9/11 one can no longer get within about 1/2 mile of either plant to see it. The power company has an incredible breeding program for the endangered American Crocodile on the 25,000 acre property too. Good for them!
[Amanda, 08/31/2006]About ten years ago, a friend took me for a drive down a lonely access road to a nuclear power plant near Homestead, FL. Somewhere off to the left about twenty feet, behind some scrubby bushes, was a 15-foot fiberglass Tyrannosaurus rex. If my friend hadn't known it was there, we probably would have missed it.
We don't know why it's there -- the only reason we could thing of is that someone bought it from a local goofy golf that had closed down. We also suspect that it might have been a witty protest against the nuclear power plant -- as in, "Heavens, Mildred! The gekkos have mutated!"
Does anyone know the story behind it?
[Julie Woodson, 02/03/1999]Nearby Offbeat Places
Grave of Johnnie Brown: the Human Monkey, Palm Beach, FL - 3 mi.
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The T-rex, which had stood outside the nuke plant since the mid-1990s, lost touch with the public when the property was declared off-limits after 9/11. It's nice to see that the dino's been saved and given a makeover.