They’re big, green and made of grass. Downtown Raleigh dinosaurs aim to delight.
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The N&O Summer Desk is a pop-up initiative to help navigate the season. Whether you’re heading to the beach or backyard, the Summer Desk is here to inform and entertain you.
- What should I know? Three topiary dinosaurs are prowling downtown Raleigh streets this summer.
- What should I share with family and friends? The dinosaurs are promoting a one-of-a kind exhibit, “Dueling Dinosaurs” at the NC Museum of Natural Sceinces you don’t want to miss,
- Questions? Contact reporter Anna Roman at amroman@newsobserver.com
In prehistoric North America, the Tyrannosaurus rex was an apex predator, towering over 40 feet tall.
Some of its teeth were over a foot long, described by some scientists as “lethal bananas.”
In downtown Raleigh, a T.-rex called Bex is significantly shorter.
They’re also bright green. Made of grass. And, while their mouth’s agape, there are no teeth. Just prickly turf.
They are one of three Cretaceous topiaries meant to inspire and to promote downtown and the “Dueling Dinosaurs” exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences that opened earlier this year on Jones Street.
“Part of the reason of doing these dinosaurs is to just bring that fun, whimsy, memorable, kind of placemaking vibes to downtown Raleigh,” said Lucy McInnis, events and development director of Downtown Raleigh Alliance. “And really add on to our long list of those attractive, vibrant public spaces that serve the community’s needs and really make downtown great.”
Where to find the topiary trio
You can find the topiary trio, each with a unique name, personality and pronouns, in three spots downtown.
- Bex is located at Moore Square. They have a vinyl collection “as extensive as their tiny arms can reach.” according to their Downtown Raleigh Alliance profile.
- Pterry, (the P is silent), the pterodactyl, is located at Exchange Plaza. He loves to perch on downtown’s “hottest bars” and “when he’s not swooping in for happy hour” he’s checking out street vendors during Fayetteville Street festivals.
- Trish, the triceratops, is located at the corner of Morgan and Fayetteville streets. She enjoys vintage finds and “hunting for that perfect retro accessory to match her three-horned style.”
The alliance released a plan to enliven Fayetteville Street earlier this year that included family-friendly placemaking. The idea is to place visual elements throughout the downtown area that visitors can follow to see local attractions.
“I think as people look for reasons to visit different parts of the city, especially downtown Raleigh, it’s really about those fun, interactive, playful elements that I think will make people take that extra step,” McInnis said.
The dinosaurs will likely stay “rooted” in their spots through the end of the year, before possibly traveling to new locations in early 2025.
And eagle-eyed visitors may catch the dinosaurs wearing festive wear as the holidays get closer.
This story was originally published July 18, 2024 at 11:53 AM.
