Dinny

Through the eyes of a Brontosaurus

What Calgary changes has Dinny seen? From the ebbs and flows of the Bow River, the expanding city skyline to the transformation of the Calgary Zoo into a world-renowned conservation, organization, Dinny has witnessed it all. He was crafted by local sculptor, John Kanerva, and many zoo volunteers, and is made of hand-pressed concrete on metal framing. This beautiful Brontosaurus was the biggest attraction of the newly opened Natural History Park at the Calgary Zoo in 1937. As its only surviving statue, Dinny has been keeping a watchful eye out ever since.

Dinny the Dinosaur

An icon is born

Dinny stands 34 feet tall and 107 feet long, and climbing him was once a rite-of-passage for many. He has been the star of countless family photographs and far-flung postcards for generations and was once considered the most photographed object in Canada by Kodak®. A trip to Calgary was not complete without seeing Dinny,  and airline pilots would often tip their wings to ensure passengers could catch a glimpse of this thunder lizard as they flew by!

Brontosaurus (brawn-tuh-saw-ruhs)
Name means: Thunder Lizard
Late Jurassic 155-152 million years ago
Herbivorous sauropod dinosaur
First described 1879
by O.C. Marsh

Statue is 34 feet tall and 107 feet long.