Crystal Palace Park is the former location of the Crystal Palace from London‘s Great Exhibition of 1851 (the palace burned down in 1936). It’s still a scenic, family-friendly outdoor spot, but the highlight is definitely the endearingly misshapen Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. Created in 1854, they were the world’s first dinosaur sculptures, and were a huge hit with the public. But as scientific knowledge of dinosaurs improved, the sculptures were mocked and dismissed for their inaccuracies, and fell into disrepair. In 2002, the dinosaurs underwent a major renovation and are once again a beloved local landmark. As you can see from this elephant-lizard “Megalosaurus,” they have a quirky charm all their own... even if you sometimes feel like you’re on a mini-golf course.
