Are you ready for a painfully obvious statement? Summer vacations with one’s family are for putting troubles away and having an adventure while the weather is agreeable. However, nothing about 2021 was normal. With just six days into the new year, the Covid-weary world witnessed an insurrection at the United States Capitol building. Things failed to improve from there. Two long awaited vaccines hit the market in the spring, and with them came the promise of a reopening world. That is until the fools who cheered on the coup attempts asserted their willful ignorance and refused to take their medicine. It seemed like our troubles were with us and multiplying faster than a barn full of feral cats. And so it was with thoughts of the imminent collapse of the American empire in mind that I turned off the 101 and into Prehistoric Gardens, a much needed break from modernity, courtesy of the late E.V. Nelson.
Dyatrima - Never heard of this one before Prehistoric Gardens.
He may be covered in armor, but he looks so friendly.
Who knows how long the dream had actually been with him? However, it was in 1955 that E.V. Nelson shed a successful career as an accountant and devoted himself to his passion project; building life-sized dinosaurs out of steel and concrete. Midway between Gold Beach and Port Orford is where he bought a few acres of old growth rainforest and devoted the next thirty years bringing his creations to life. While he was no paleontologist, he was an enthusiast who based his creatures’ shapes and sizes off of fossils displayed at natural history museums. Their bold colors were his own artistic choice. His gift to the world were twenty-three life-sized dinosaurs placed along a gravel trail that twists and wanders among trees, mosses and ferns. His accomplishment was no small feat considering that this microclimate receives six to ten feet of rain a year, guaranteeing whoever owns Prehistoric Gardens constant maintenance as they continue to keep Mr. Nelson’s vision exactly as it was in 1955.
With windshield wipers tapping on a rainswept June morning, we arrived at Prehistoric Gardens and were welcomed into the parking lot by a vibrant Tyrannosaurus Rex and Brachiosaurus. Those two beasts were exactly what my pandemic-fatigued spirit needed as my mood began to shift. Afterall, it’s hard to be glum when there are dinosaurs to behold. My kids were in complete agreement as they piled out of the car. Rain or not, there were prehistoric creatures waiting for us. After paying our admission, we slipped away to a bygone era that knew nothing of man. Armed with umbrellas and paper maps, my kids led us through the dripping wet forest as each turn revealed a carefully stationed reptile. The only thing dividing us from the passing traffic up and down the highway was a redwood fence. Yet, in this wonderful oasis of make-believe, we couldn’t be further from the outside world. And so, it was here the earth was repopulated with dinosaurs, thanks to the collective imagination of the late E.V. Nelson and two kids.
During the summer, Prehistoric Gardens is open from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. The hours vary during different seasons, so call ahead at (541) 332-4463 before making the trip. While there is an admission, it is a fairly non-commercial affair. There are no animatronic dinosaurs with latex skins or virtual reality experiences. The exit is next to, and not through, the gift shop.
Prehistoric Gardens sits along the Southern Oregon coast, waiting to welcome visitors in as they pass north or south on the 101.
We took this one on the way in. Thanks for playing along.
Prehistoric Gardens
36848 US-101
Port Orford, Oregon 97465
(541) 332-4463
This post is based on a visit to Prehistoric Gardens on June 13, 2021
Looking for something whimsical? When in Southern California, visit the Bob Baker Marionette Theater or M and M Nursery.