Entry No. 17 — the Washington, D.C. file — filed under: giant sculpture
Dinosaur Land
Over 50 hand-built fiberglass dinosaurs crowd two wooded acres off Route 340, some dating to the park's 1963 opening (as a gift shop called Rebel Korner) with wood-and-wire-mesh frames built by a Field Museum designer, alongside newer additions like a 70-foot purple octopus, a 60-foot shark, and a King Kong you can pose in the oversized hand of.
The story
In 1963, this stretch of Route 340 in White Post was just another highway pitstop operating under the name Rebel Korner. Then came the monsters. To lure driving families off the road, a designer from Chicago’s Field Museum was brought in to build a prehistoric menagerie out of wood, wire mesh, and thick layers of fiberglass. What began as an over-the-top stunt for a souvenir store eventually took over two acres of Virginia woodland.
What makes the park magnificent isn't paleontological accuracy—modern scientists would cringe at the postures—but its pure, unvarnished folk-art commitment. Over the decades, the collection grew past Mesozoic reptiles into total surrealism. Alongside the classic long-necks, you will suddenly stumble upon a 70-foot purple octopus draped through the underbrush, a 60-foot shark, and a towering King Kong built with a cavernous, low-slung palm designed for you to climb right into.
What it's like
You pay inside a retro roadside gift shop before stepping out the back door directly into two acres of hardwood forest. There are no screens, no audio tracks, and zero animatronic motors—just unpaved dirt trails winding under the canopy where weather-beaten fiberglass beasts loom out of the leaf litter. You wander at your own pace with no set route, ducking under tail spikes and posing inside King Kong's oversized fist. Check current hours before driving out since seasonal schedules fluctuate, and leave time to browse the gift shop's stash of vintage-style dino kitsch.
The move: Wander the shaded path between dinosaurs at your own pace — there's no set route or narration, just decades-old fiberglass giants looming out of the trees — then hit the gift shop for the requisite dino-themed souvenir.
- 📍 White Post, VA
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy, White Post, VA 22663
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Sky Meadows State Park — Swap 1960s fiberglass monsters for real night skies ten miles east at this Dark Sky-designated park.
- Ruins of Shenandoah Pulp Factory — Trade mid-century roadside pop art for 1880s industrial stone ruins decaying by the water near Harpers Ferry.
- King Spa Virginia — Follow up a humid walk through a folk-art forest with a barefoot soak across nine themed saunas in Chantilly.
Good to know
How many sculptures are in the park, and are they all dinosaurs?
There are over 50 hand-built fiberglass figures tucked into two wooded acres. While most are prehistoric beasts, the roster includes random giant non-dinosaurs like a 70-foot purple octopus, a 60-foot shark, and King Kong.
Who actually built these giant figures?
The earliest statues were sculpted using wood-and-wire-mesh frames wrapped in fiberglass by a designer who had worked for the Field Museum in Chicago, dating back to when the spot transitioned from the Rebel Korner gift shop in the 1960s.
Is there a guided tour or a specific walking route?
No. The park is strictly self-guided with no forced path, no narration, and no schedule. You simply stroll the shaded trails through the forest as you like.
How do you access the outdoor park?
Drive to 3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy in White Post, enter through the roadside gift shop to get your ticket, and walk through to the rear outdoor enclosure.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · dcmoms.com · Facebook
last checked: 2026-07-19