Seattle Fans Work to Preserve Beloved Dinosaur Exhibit

When the Pacific Science Center's beloved dinosaur sculptures disappeared this month after 35 years, heartbroken Seattle fans refused to let the memories vanish with them.

The museum removed its fiberglass triceratops and stegosaurus from the reflecting pool due to safety concerns and age. But the quiet removal sparked an outpouring of nostalgia from generations who grew up gazing at these Seattle icons.

R.B. Wick of Bellingham remembers camping overnight at the museum when he was six. "We slept in the dinosaur room, and I remember saying, 'The three-horn will keep us safe, Dad,'" he recalled.

Years later, Wick discovered his future wife had also camped in that same dinosaur room as a Girl Scout. Those childhood visits to the Science Center inspired his career preserving history as owner of an antique shop.

When the museum's main dinosaur exhibit closed last year, Wick purchased the triceratops head at auction for $3,350 to display in his Bellingham shop. He wants to keep the magic alive for kids who might become future archaeologists and scientists.

The dinosaurs themselves had quite a journey. Sculptor Wes Stanley created them in 1968 for Washington's first dinosaur park, but after those plans fell through, they spent six years gathering moss in a Bellevue backyard before finding their home at PacSci in 1991.

Why This Inspires

Caleb Riston, 31, is building something even bigger. He took 40 panoramic photos of the main dinosaur exhibit before it closed, creating a free virtual tour anyone can access.

"No royalties, nobody has to pay for it," Riston said. "They can just take a look at it, and download it, and save it to make whatever they want with it."

His digital time capsule lets people wander back through their childhoods and share the experience with their own kids. It's a gift to everyone who credits those dinosaurs with sparking their curiosity about science and history.

While these particular sculptures have reached the end of their lifespan, the community's determination to preserve them shows how powerful childhood wonder can be.