Cabazon Dinosaurs
Cabazon, CA
A steel-and-concrete brontosaurus and T. rex from the 1960s–80s beside I-10. You can climb up into the T. rex's mouth.
The Cabazon Dinosaurs stand right beside Interstate 10 west of Palm Springs and can be seen from the freeway. Sculptor Claude K. Bell built them to draw customers to his Wheel Inn Cafe. The Apatosaurus "Dinny" (about 45 feet/14 m tall and 150 feet/46 m long) was built from steel and concrete between 1964 and 1975, and the Tyrannosaurus "Mr. Rex" (about 65 feet/20 m tall) between 1981 and 1986. Bell died in 1988, and a planned slide in Mr. Rex's tail was never finished. The figures also gained fame through the 1985 film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure."
Inside Dinny is a gift shop. A staircase leads up through Mr. Rex into its mouth, but it is only open if you pay admission to the dinosaur park. The figures are repeatedly dressed up for special occasions. The stop is easy to combine with a drive on I-10.
- Nearest town
- Cabazon, CA
- Category
- Roadside oddities
- GPS
- 33.9249, -116.7684
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually September–May. Still fine, with some compromises, in June–August. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Photo by Nate Kadlac on UnsplashJumbo Rocks Campground
Photo by Vladimir Haltakov on UnsplashJoshua Tree National Park
Photo by Richard Hedrick on UnsplashGalleta Meadows sculptures
© No machine-readable author provided. Miskatonic assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY 2.5Fonts Point
Campsites nearby
- Banning Stagecoach KOA RV Park and StorageMotorhome stopover6 mi from Cabazon DinosaursMotorhomesElectricityWi-Fi
- Mount San Jacinto State Park Idyllwild CampgroundCampsite13 mi from Cabazon DinosaursTentsCaravansDrinking waterShowersToilets
- San Gorgonio CampgroundCampsite18 mi from Cabazon DinosaursTentsCaravansDrinking waterShowersToilets
- Buttercup Group CampCampsite22 mi from Cabazon DinosaursTentsCaravansDrinking waterToilets
- Pineknot CampgroundCampsite22 mi from Cabazon DinosaursTentsCaravansDrinking waterToilets
- Keller Peak Yellow Post #9Campsite25 mi from Cabazon DinosaursTentsCaravansFree
All campsites in California · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Cabazon Dinosaurs?
Cabazon Dinosaurs is in Cabazon, CA, at GPS 33.9249, -116.7684. It is about 14 mi from Palm Springs.
Can you camp near Cabazon Dinosaurs?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Black Mountain Yellow Post #5, about 6 mi away; within 25 mi there are 169 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Cabazon Dinosaurs?
Cabazon Dinosaurs is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Desert art and strange sculpture.
What is there to see near Cabazon Dinosaurs?
Places worth a stop nearby: Jumbo Rocks Campground (41 mi), Joshua Tree National Park (50 mi), Galleta Meadows sculptures (51 mi) and Fonts Point (57 mi).
When is the best time to visit Cabazon Dinosaurs?
The most pleasant months are usually September–May. Still fine, with some compromises, in June–August. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)