Museum
of the Americas- International Petrified Forest - Dinosaur
Park
The name
is quite misleading, because this park has nothing to do with the Petrified
Forest National Park run by the National Park Service just a few miles
farther East.
The Dinosaur Park is a privately run park, created by someone who had
a passion, a dream...
Have you ever felt the dinosaur roam the wastelands...
Located right off I-40 just a few miles East of Holbrook, this Dino Park
awaits to take you back millions of years for a pittance.
$5 dollars will get you entrance into the thousands of acres, the museum,
and a good look at...a bunch of BUFFALOES.
The cheap
entrance fee gets you access to thousands of acres of wastelands, all
the photo taking you want, and access to the wonderful museum where an
impressive collection of Indian artifacts is on display. There is also
a display of dinosaur bones, a 1000 year old rebuilt Anasaxi Native American
ruin, and a great gift shop.
Dinosaur
bones have been excavated from this Triassic area recognized by the federal
government as the best-preserved Triassic region in the world.
There are deposits of petrified wood, fossilized bones and various remnants
of plants and animals within the Park's boundaries.
If Velton's
on duty (see picture above), don't miss the chance to talk with this jovial
gatekeeper who is a long-time local. He'll be more than happy to tell
you all about the time when he was cast as an extra in Gene Autry and
Roy Rodgers' local movies as a 12 year old kid, about the latest bones
excavated from the site on their way to a national exhibit, or about the
visitors who think buffaloes are cuddly, cow-like mammals and 
who
got their fingers snapped off when they stood too close to the fence to
pet them... and got rammed. If you're really nice, he may even open the
gate for you to take a close look...if you're brave enough, and they're
busy enough eating to not mind your curiosity.
