Driving east on I-10, you know you’re almost to Palm Springs when you see the two colorful dinosaurs standing right off the highway. A classic roadside attraction, the Cabazon Dinosaurs offer a can’t-miss photo op plus a fun adventure for any dinosaur fan.
Indeed, the 65-foot-tall Mr. Rex (the Tyrannosaurus rex) and 150-foot-long Dinny (the Apatosaurus) are local celebrities. They’ve made cameos in the movies Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure and The Wizard and have appeared in countless selfies.
How to See (and Go Inside) the Cabazon Dinosaurs
If you just want to take pictures of the big dinosaurs, you can do that for free from the parking lot outside the attraction. Visitors can also go inside the belly of Dinny, where you’ll find a little dino-themed gift shop with toys, t-shirts, books, and stuffed animals.
Pay the daily admission fee to enter Mr. Rex’s Dinosaur Adventure—$15 for adults; $13 for kids; $11 for seniors and military. Admission includes access to an outdoor museum with more than 70 smaller dinosaurs—some are stationary, and a few are gently robotic. Walk along the pathway and learn a little more about dinos (for instance, for all the tough-guy hype, a T. rex could likely only run 25 mph).
The showstopper, of course, is climbing inside Mr. Rex. Enter near the tail and take three flights of stairs into the little chamber inside his head. Peer through his fenced-in teeth to look out over the highway, desert landscape, and the San Jacinto Mountains outside Palm Springs.
Kids will also enjoy the Dino Dig area, an old-school sand pit ready for hands-on exploring: If you find a rock with a dinosaur’s name on it, you can turn it in at the gift store for a prize. Or buy a gemstone and panning bag to run through the sluice to see which gems you can take home.
The History of the Cabazon Dinosaurs
The park started as an enticement for customers to stop at a neighboring restaurant, the Wheel Inn, which operated from the late 1950s until 2013. Owner Claude Bell had previously found acclaim doing sand sculptures in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in the late 1940s he had created concrete figures that were part of the early Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm.
In 1964 Bell started building the steel-and-concrete dinosaurs outside his Cabazon restaurant, inspired in part by a giant, eye-catching concrete elephant back in Atlantic City. Dinny debuted in 1975 and Mr. Rex in 1986. After he died, new owners added the outdoor museum in the early 2000s.
Valentine’s Day, Christmas Lights, and More Seasonal Festivities at the Cabazon Dinosaurs
The Cabazon Dinosaurs are open every day of the year except Christmas. Depending on the time of year, the two starring dinosaurs might look different: Dinny and Mr. Rex get fresh paint jobs for occasions such as Valentine’s, Easter, and the holiday season, when Mr. Rex becomes Santa Rex. Come on weekend evenings during the holiday season and you can experience Dinosaur Nights in Lights, when the park is illuminated in twinkle lights and Santa Claus meets fans in the gift shop.
More Things to Do Near the Cabazon Dinosaurs
The dinosaurs are located near a few more classic desert attractions. Just down the road, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa offers a Vegas-style casino hotel with a huge pool complex, while the Desert Hills Premium Outlets and Cabazon Outlets boast a dizzying array of luxury-brand outlets. Be sure to stop in Hadley Fruit Orchards, which has been a treasure trove of dates, dried fruits, and nuts since the 1930s.