Initially "they" told us that Dixie would be renamed "Bennie" for Benicia,
but apparently the "Dixie the dinosaur" name was just too popular. In her current location, she overlooks I-680 and there's a sign inviting people to visit.
UPDATE: Ned Roscoe moved the dinosaur from Benicia to his private home in the Napa area, and it's no longer viewable to the public as of mid-2005. Sniff!
Initially "they" told us that Dixie would be renamed "Bennie" for Benicia,
but apparently the "Dixie the dinosaur" name was just too popular. In her current location, she overlooks I-680 and there's a sign inviting people to visit.
This sign tells her story:
"Dixie is a life size replica of a Brachiosaurus. She is 72 feet long from the tip of her tail to the end of her snout. She stands 50 feet tall. The Brachiosaurus lived in North America and East Africa. They were abundant during the Jurassic period,
130,000,000 to 180,000,000 years ago. Dixie's predecessors lived in water and ate plants.
"Dixie was built by William Krysler & Associates in Petaluma, California. The statue is made of a steel structure covered by a fiberglass skin. It weighs 15,000 pounds, not including the concrete piers which anchor the statue in the wildflowers. The statue is protected by a fence because it cost over $150,000 to construct and install.
"This dinosaur was flown by a Sikorsky S-64 Sky Crane helicopter to Dixon, California, on October 9, 1994. The statue was installed without an official permit, so there was a brief uproar. There's something about a life-size Brachiosaur which gives pause to bureaucrats. Fortunately, Dixie was loved by children who passed her on I-80. Thanks to the rapid response of a few local heroes, the bureaucrats backed down and allowed Dixie to stay. When the location was sold, Dixie's owners announced plans to move the statue to Benicia. There were tears in Dixon when Dixie flew here on July 18, 1998.
"Although Dixie still lacks a Dinosaur building permit, the statue was welcomed in Benicia by a unanimous vote of the Benicia City Council. If you enjoy this statue, consider putting up art in your own yard.
"Dixie is owned by Cigarettes Cheaper!, a national chain of retail cigarette stores where adults can save money and be treated with dignity and respect...."
"Art in my own yard", eh? Think the neighbors would notice?
Another sign showing the innards |
 And there she is! |
 I like that I could walk around, and the nice wildflowers! |
 Tall! |
