Dinosaur Kingdom II
A Civil War dinosaur fantasy attraction in Virginia.
Dinosaur Kingdom II, also known as Escape From Dinosaur Kingdom, is a roadside attraction in Natural Bridge, Virginia. It features fiberglass statues that show dinosaurs attacking the Union Army. The park includes thirty dinosaur statues, a smaller number of Union soldier figures, and other characters such as Abraham Lincoln and a gorilla wearing a cowboy hat. The attraction opened in 2005 and was created by local artist Mark Cline, who also built the nearby Foamhenge.
The statues are based on the idea that paleontologists discovered dinosaurs in Virginia in 1863. When the Union Army tried to use the dinosaurs as weapons, the dinosaurs turned on them. Cline originally planned to have the dinosaurs attack Pancho Villa’s army, but he chose the Union Army instead to appeal to local sentiment, explaining that “people still fight the Civil War down here.” He had wanted to build dinosaur statues since visiting Dinosaur Land in White Post, Virginia as a child; the theme for Dinosaur Kingdom was inspired by the movie *The Valley of Gwangi*, where cowboys find living dinosaurs in a Mexican valley.
Cline says that Northerners have never complained about being cast as the villains. He plans to open a similar park in Gettysburg that reenacts Pickett’s Charge with dinosaurs, this time with the Confederates under attack.
- location
- Natural Bridge, Virginia
- opened
- 2005
- creator
- Mark Cline
- type
- Tourist attraction with fiberglass statues
- theme
- Dinosaur attack on the Union Army
- notable figures
- Abraham Lincoln, a gorilla in a cowboy hat
Lore & Background
According to Cline, Northerners have never complained about playing the villain in the attraction. He plans to open a similar park at Gettysburg reenacting Pickett's Charge with dinosaurs, in which the Confederates will be attacked.
Reader's Guide
Dinosaur Kingdom II is significant as a quirky example of roadside Americana and folk art, blending historical fantasy with local Civil War memory. Its creator, Mark Cline, used the attraction to engage with regional identity, deliberately casting the Union Army as villains to appeal to local sentiment. The park's existence highlights how tourist attractions can reframe history for entertainment, while also reflecting the enduring cultural resonance of the Civil War in Virginia. Cline's planned expansion to Gettysburg suggests a broader ambition to use dinosaurs as a lens for reimagining key historical events. The attraction's inclusion of anachronistic figures like Abraham Lincoln and a gorilla in a cowboy hat underscores its playful, surreal nature. As a work of a single artist, it stands as a personal vision that has become a local landmark, drawing visitors curious about its unusual premise.
Did You Know?
- The park's premise is that paleontologists discovered dinosaurs in Virginia in 1863.
- Cline originally planned to have the dinosaurs besiege Pancho Villa's army.
- The park includes a gorilla in a cowboy hat among its statues.
- Cline plans to open a similar park at Gettysburg reenacting Pickett's Charge with dinosaurs.
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