Utah Field House of Natural History (Vernal, Utah)
part 2: the dinosaur garden

 
  The extensive garden of the Field House includes some 18 full-size reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life, not least a wooly mammoth.

The statues are wonderfully in proportion to the trees and plants of the gardens, and it gives the beasties quite a resemblance of being alive. One can stroll along the paths and catch glimpses of dinsoaurs behind trees or find that one terrific head-on position.
 
Triceratops

Triceratops
 
As in real life, some animals seem to ham it up a little, such as in the photo below. Edaphosaurus (a mammal-like reptile who lived before any of the dinosaurs) seems to think the photo is of him, rather than the Diplodocus behind him. Notice the pterandon hanging around too?
 

Diplodocus

Edaphosaurus and friends.
 
  Elbert Porter had designed the original models, but recently the Field House has begun expanding its collection, with two sculptures by David Thomas, including the recently discovered Utahraptor.
 
Utahraptor

Utahraptor worrying some protoceratops.
 

 
Utah Field House: the museum

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