Dinah the Pink Dinosaur

Dinah the Pink Dinosaur is a 40-foot cartoon dinosaur standing beside US-40 near the centre of Vernal, and she has become an unlikely symbol of the town's identity. Built in the 1950s and originally associated with a roadside motel, she is now a standalone civic monument with her own protective designation on the National Register of Historic Places.

She is not to be confused with the scientifically accurate dinosaurs at the Field House — Dinah is decidedly anthropomorphised, with a goofy smile and a pinkness that has nothing to do with natural history. But she perfectly captures the spirit of American roadside culture, and no visit to Vernal is complete without a photograph. Families with children will particularly appreciate the scale.

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A story
Dinah was built in the 1950s as a roadside attraction for a local motel, constructed from steel and concrete by a local artist. She is painted a distinctive shade of pink — a colour choice that has never been adequately explained — and stands 40 feet tall. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making her one of the more unlikely entries in that august catalogue.

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