Garden of the Gods Dinosaur
The find
Professor James H. Kerr of Colorado College found the skull in 1878. O. C. Marsh identified it as Camptosaurus in 1886, and it stayed under that name until Brill and Carpenter described it as a new genus and species in a 2006 paper; the park dates the public announcement to 2008. It remains the only known specimen of Theiophytalia kerri.
The name
The park explains the name as Greek “theios”, belonging to the gods, plus “phytalia”, garden, with kerri for Kerr: a direct echo of Garden of the Gods, whose own name dates to 1859 (see why the name). Sources differ on its exact age, so the period, Early Cretaceous, is the safer figure.
Seeing it
The replica is part of the free exhibits at the Visitor & Nature Center, 1805 N. 30th Street, which opens at 9 am; see the Visitor Center page. The Segway tour meets in front of the Visitor Center, according to its listing.
Frequently asked questions
What dinosaur was found at Garden of the Gods?
Theiophytalia kerri, whose skull was found in 1878 and named in 2006. See the Visitor Center page.
Is the dinosaur skull at Garden of the Gods real?
The Visitor & Nature Center shows a replica cast; the original is at the Yale Peabody Museum. See the complete guide.
How old is the Garden of the Gods dinosaur?
Early Cretaceous; sources give different exact figures. See the rock formations page for the park’s geology.