Dinosaur Gardens Prehistorical Zoo

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Dinosaur Gardens Prehistorical Zoo is an offbeat tourist attraction located in Ossineke, Michigan. Built on a forty acre tract of drained swampland, visitors to the “zoo” encounter several dozen homemade sculptures of dinosaurs, prehistoric birds, prehistoric mammals, and cavemen, many of which are arranged into action-packed (and often violent) tableaus. The attraction, started by folk artist Paul N. Domke in the 1930s, also boasts a gift shop and a dinosaur-themed miniature golf course.

Dinosaur Gardens is perhaps best known for its seemingly out-of-place Christian imagery. For example, visitors are greeted at the entrance by a statue of Jesus holding a globe in his left hand. One can also climb into the belly of an Apatosaurus sculpture and find a display proclaiming Jesus as “The Greatest Heart.” However, such eccentricities have made the attraction a popular destination for generations of curiosity seekers. Indeed, brochures for Dinosaur Gardens claim that more photographs are taken there than at any other location in Michigan.