Dinolandia: Mike Bennett’s Immersive Prehistoric Exhibit

Photo courtesy of Mike Bennett

Mike Bennett is taking us back in time at Dinolandia: a jurassic exhibition like no other in downtown Portland.

From street signs and murals to exhibits and local partnerships, chances are you’ve seen Mike Bennett’s art in Portland. He first gained popularity with his A to Zoo Family Museum, a series of fun and educational installations displayed in his front yard.

Once you’re familiar with his style of art, you’ll start spotting it all around town. Your neighbor may even have one of his slow down signs in their yard. He also sells his art at cut outs, wooden figurines, enamel pins and apparel. His mothman design is my favorite and decorates my home work space. 

Deemed the public joy creator of our city, his illustrations are playful, inspired and fun. His latest projects have focused on themed exhibits. In the fall, Mike turned an old Bank of America location in St. Johns into the Crypto-Zoo with 26 life-size cut outs of cryptids, monsters and mythical beasts. Now, Mike Bennett is taking his talents to new heights with Dinolandia.

Dinolandia: Mike Bennett’s Immersive Prehistoric Experience

Photo courtesy of Mike Bennett

Details

From May 31 through September 10, dinosaurs are taking over a two-story, 22,000 square foot space in the heart of downtown Portland. Dinolandia invites prehistoric explorers of all ages to take a step back in time as >Professor “Rex” Bennett unveils his latest invention, The Find-o-Dino.

Instead of viewing some old fossils behind glass, you can visit these prehistoric creatures as they lived and breathed in their natural habitats, recreated and illustrated by Mike Bennett and his crew of talented paint-eontologists.

The immersive walk-through museum features more than 50 species of dinosaurs, ranging from the chicken-sized Compsognathus to a floor-to-ceiling Tyrannosaurus Rex. Dinosaurs will be set to artfully curated backdrops and displays that will take you into a world long before humans walked the Earth.

All of the 1,000+ cut outs that create Dinolandia are hand painted and made from reclaimed plywood and recycled paint.

Special to this event, Grammy-nominated children’s artist Billy Kelly is providing original music for the exhibit.

Tickets

General admission is $5 per person at the door. Children 8 and under attend for free. You can also buy a summer pass online, starting at $30. 

Dinolandia is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The exhibit is located at 710 SW Yamhill St. in the former Banana Republic across from Pioneer Square in Portland.

The two-story exhibit is accessible. Masks are required, until further notice.

For more information about Dinolandia, visit the Mike Bennett Art website.

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