Another great artists rendering of dinosaurs near Los Angeles can be found at the Third Street Promenade on the West end of Santa Monica. Featuring six different dinosaurs, these topiary fountains were commissioned in 1989 and were the winners of an art contest held by the city’s Arts Commission. I’ve been told that initially some of the dinosaurs used to breathe fire at night to impress the tourists, but the city put a stop to it. I GUESS I can understand. Still, I love these topiaries as they have sort of a nostalgic 80’s look to them. A ton of dinosaur toys from when I was growing up used to look like this. I supposed they’re not super accurate looking when held to the latest scientific standards, but considering that they once shot flames out of their mouths, I don’t think that was the artists’ main concern.
Santa Monica, CA – Santa Monica Third Street Promenade
