Finding a hobby in retirement that also brings joy to others is a winning combination. Ever since Steve Springer retired from teaching 16 years ago, he’s displayed dozens of dinosaurs outside of his home.
The dinos in Springer’s Henderson, Nevada, yard come in all shapes and sizes, including a velociraptor triceratops, a blue brontosaurus and a tyrannosaurus rex.
His display has grown a huge following among both locals and people all around the world. It attracts nearly 40,000 people a year to come to see it, some from as far as Japan. “We started with one dinosaur and now we have 62. It’s taken on a life of its own,” Springer said.
Springer started the project after he quit teaching as a way for children to learn about what used to roam the earth. “I taught school around the corner for 30 years and I missed the kids so much I wanted to do something that would put a smile on their faces and make their day better so I thought I am going to create a park that is one-of-a-kind… and it won’t cost you anything,” he said.
Visitors also have the opportunity to walk away with a prize by choosing a dinosaur egg from a wall in his garage. Springer does take donations but the majority of his setup is paid out of pocket.
During each holiday, Springer adds a bit of a twist to his display. For Halloween, he’s added skulls, dismembered body parts, spiders and a giant blow-up dragon to push things over the top.
The display is free and operates every day of the year except for Halloween. Springer closes during the day to prepare for up to 6,000 visitors on Halloween night.
Source: https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/10/22/have-you-met-hendersons-dinosaur-man/