The "World's Largest Dinosaur", nicknamed "Tyra", is a roadside tourist attraction shaped like a model ''

Tyrannosaurus ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived througho ...

rex,'' situated in the

Drumheller Drumheller is a town on the Red Deer River in the badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Calgary and south of Stettler. The Drumheller portion of the Red Deer River valley, often referred to as Dinosaur Vall ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The World's Largest Dinosaur is one of several dinosaur-related attractions in Drumheller and the surrounding areas, including

Dinosaur Provincial Park Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 220 kilometres (137 mi) east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or northeast of Brooks. The park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its striking badland topo ...

. World's Largest Dinosaur is set to close in 2029.

Background

The model ''Tyrannosaurus'' was constructed of fiberglass and steel, with a height of and a length of , considerably larger than the largest known specimens of the actual dinosaur, known as Sue, which reached up to in length, and up to tall at the hips. The ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' is one of several dinosaur-related attractions in the town of Drumheller, which is located in the

Badland Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes ...

s of east-

central Alberta Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province. Agriculture and energy are important to the area's economy. Geography Central Alberta is bordered ...

along the

Red Deer River The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta and a small portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and is part of the larger Saskatchewan / Nelson River, Nelson system that empties into Hudson Bay. T ...

, approximately northeast of

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

. Drumheller is home to the

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (RTMP; often referred to as the Royal Tyrrell Museum) is a palaeontology museum and research facility in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The museum was named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell, and is situate ...

, housing over 160,000 cataloged fossils and showcasing a collection of approximately 800 fossils as exhibits. The town of Drumheller features numerous pieces of

public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...

in the form of dinosaur models that are placed throughout the community.

History

The World's Largest Dinosaur took approximately three years to complete, which including a design stage, groundbreaking on October 2, 1999, and a

grand opening An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

on October 13, 2000. The dinosaur was built during the term of former Drumheller Mayor Phil Bryant. Each month 15 percent of the revenue generated by visitors to the World's Largest Dinosaur and the attached gift shop is directed to the World's Largest Dinosaur Legacy Fund, which reinvests funds into

community economic development Community economic development (CED) is a field of study that actively elicits community involvement when working with government and private sectors to build strong communities, industries, and markets. It includes collaborative and participatory ...

initiatives. The sculpture weights , of which is steel. Visitors climb 106 stairs from the gift shop to the viewing area in the dinosaur's mouth, which is approximately and can hold between 8 and 12 people at a time. On August 27, 2018, the World's Largest Dinosaur welcomed its two-millionth visitor 18 years after the structure was opened in 2000. In 2020 the World's Largest Dinosaur underwent a CA$300,000 restoration which was partially funded by the

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

through the Canadian Experiences Fund. The restoration will include a new coat of paint on the dinosaur. On March 26, 2025, the Drumheller Chamber of Commerce announced that the attraction would close in 2029.

References

External links

* {{Alberta parks Buildings and structures in Drumheller Roadside attractions in Canada Sculptures of dinosaurs Outdoor sculptures in Canada Fiberglass sculptures in Canada Animal sculptures in Canada

Background

History

See also

References

External links