Dinosaur World (Arkansas) facts for kids
| Previously known as John Agar's Land of Kong | |
| Location | 8608 Highway 187, Beaver Dam Area, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°26′31″N 93°50′32″W / 36.441965°N 93.842232°W |
| Status | closed |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Closed | 2005 |
| Area | 65 acres (26 ha) |
Dinosaur World was a fun tourist spot in Beaver, Arkansas. It was also known as John Agar's Land of Kong and Farwell's Dinosaur Park. This theme park covered 65 acres. It featured about one hundred life-size statues. These statues showed dinosaurs, cavemen, and other ancient creatures. The park also had the world's largest Noah's Ark Mural. A local artist named Will Johnson painted it. Dinosaur World closed its doors in 2005. At one point, it was the biggest dinosaur park in the world!
Contents
History of Dinosaur World
Dinosaur World first opened in 1967. It was called "Farwell's Dinosaur Park" back then. Ola Farwell started the park. She hired a sculptor named Emmet Sullivan. He built six to ten huge dinosaur statues.
How the Park Changed Names
In the late 1970s, Ken Childs bought the park. He changed its name to "John Agar's Land of Kong". A giant 40-foot tall statue of King Kong was built. It was called the "World's Largest King Kong". The park owner was friends with a movie actor named John Agar. Agar had been in the 1976 King Kong movie. He gave permission to use his name for the park. Many people thought John Agar owned the park, but he never did.
The Sculptor Behind the Dinosaurs
Emmet Sullivan was the artist who designed the dinosaur statues. He also created dinosaur statues for other parks. You can see his work at Dinosaur Park and Wall Drug in South Dakota. Sullivan also designed the Christ of the Ozarks statue. This famous statue is in nearby Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Two local builders, A. C. McBride and Orvis Parker, helped construct the dinosaurs.
Dinosaur World in Movies
The park's dinosaurs even appeared in movies! A few of them were briefly shown. This happened in the opening scenes of the 1969 horror movie 'It's Alive!'. The park's giant tyrannosaurus also appeared. It was featured in the 2005 film Elizabethtown. You can even see it on the film's cover!
