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All the United States Vermont Thetford Vermontasaurus

Vermontasaurus

This folk art dinosaur was almost pushed to extinction due to lack of a building permit.

Thetford, Vermont

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joel
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Vermontasaurus   Chris Naka/Atlas Obscura
Vermontasaurus   Chris Naka/Atlas Obscura
Vermontasaurus   Chris Naka/Atlas Obscura
Vermontasaurus at creation.   HopsonRoad on Wikipedia
Vermontasaurus and Baby Vermontasaurus, after being rebuilt.   Stephen Flanders via Wikipedia
Vermontasaurus, after collapsing   HopsonRoad on Wikipedia
  kensears37 / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance to the museum   AmandaHuggenkiss / Atlas Obscura User
A view from inside the museum   AmandaHuggenkiss / Atlas Obscura User
Glider launching   AmandaHuggenkiss / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The massive collection of scrap wood that is vaguely built into the shape of a four-legged creature known as the Vermontasaurus is large enough to have been considered a building at one point. 

Created by Brian Boland, a "retired school teacher and experimental balloon pilot,” the Vermontasaurus is a 122-foot-long, and 25-foot-tall dinosaur sculpture made entirely of scrap wood. Building began on the cobbled creature in 2010 near the Post Mills Airport in Thetford, Vermont. Boland and friends created the monster using discarded planks from Boland's balloon manufacturing business, seemingly just nailing each piece atop one another, creating a chaotic hide. Once completed, the sculpture was subject of local debate as to whether a building permit was required for the great wooden lizard, but eventually, Thetford's Development Review Board allowed the structure to remain without a permit after deeming it as an artwork.

Ironically in June of 2012 part of the sculpture did collapse, but the belly of the beast was rebuilt by Boland and 50 volunteers in an amended form. During the repairs, the group also created an accompanying baby Vermontasaurus!

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Dinosaurs Outsider Art Sculptures Animals

Know Before You Go

In addition to several scrap-wood "Vermonasaurs" there is an active airfield with glider launches and a stable filled with vehicles made from surprising objects. The Experimental Balloon & Airship Museum is filled to the rafters with bits of planes, hot air balloons, old medical equipment,  and a tree made from skis & ski poles. 

Community Contributors

Added By

leiris

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Rachel, kensears37, AmandaHuggenkiss, Michelle Cassidy...

  • Rachel
  • kensears37
  • AmandaHuggenkiss
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • dawnder01

Published

January 16, 2013

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  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermontasaurus
  • http://vhist.com/explore/vermontasaurus/
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/26053
Vermontasaurus
104 Robinson Hill Rd
Thetford, Vermont
United States
43.88636, -72.250786
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