Dinosaurs of the Forgotten Forest at Nicholas Conservatory
Rockford Park District’s Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens invites the community to step back in time to experience the plants and animals of the Cretaceous Period at the new exhibit Dinosaurs of the Forgotten Forest, which runs through October 19, 2025.
Botanical materials have been used to create sculptures of famous large dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus rex, Ankylosaurus, Triceratops, and more, along with lesser-known early mammals. The exhibit was designed and constructed by Applied Imagination Ltd., a Kentucky company specializing in botanical models and garden railways that creates exhibits for a number of public gardens throughout the U.S., including the Conservatory’s Sinnissippi annual garden model railway exhibit.
Also featured in the exhibit are real prehistoric plant species from the Nicholas Conservatory collection.
Regular Conservatory admission fees apply for viewing the exhibit, and vary according to age and residency; reduced fees are available for youth, children, seniors, and veterans.
