Driving north on Hillcrest Road between McCallum Boulevard and Frankford Road, drivers see Jurassic Park come to life. Five life-size dinosaurs “roam” an enclosed area behind the North Central Dallas Police Department.
The sight prompted Michelle to ask Curious Texas “What’s the story of the house with dinosaurs outside and in the yard? Did the homeowners need to go through any kind of city approval to be able to place those outside?”
What has become a friendly community attraction in Dallas, began with Sam Zhang and Cynthia Xi’s love for their son, Eric, now 6 years old, in the Texas town of Nevada.
In 2022, Zhang and Xi took Eric and his little sister, Chloe, to the Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Dallas.
Curious Texas
“He took a long time to talk,” Zhang said. “But when we went to Jurassic Park, he pointed and he was really excited. He kept wanting to touch them, so I thought why not bring dinosaurs home?”
A trip to the Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Dallas in 2022 inspired a couple to bring dinosaurs to their home for their kids.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
The couple had eight dinosaurs custom-made in China for their children.
The pack in Dallas includes three raptors, two parasaurolophuses, a triceratops, and of course, a T. rex. One raptor lives in front of the house, the others are positioned strategically in the backyard.
The eighth dinosaur, a massive brachiosaurus, stayed behind in Nevada because the city of Dallas wouldn’t allow it. It was over 48 feet tall.
“I was sad because I wanted to put it under a tree to make it look like he was eating the leaves,” Zhang said, gesturing to a tall pecan tree.
The dinosaurs have a metal frame, foam stuffing and rubbery plastic “skin.” They are squishy to the touch and fairly weather proof though the sun turned most of their eyes a milky white and lightened their paint. The smallest dinosaur (a raptor) is about 80 pounds. Heavy to move, but solid enough for kids to scamper on.
Two raptors and two parasaurolophuses (a mom and her baby) encroach on the treehouse where children squeal and pretend they’re being attacked by the prehistoric creatures. The triceratops overlooks the pool and its head acts as a springboard for cannonballs.
Drivers along Hillcrest Rd may have noticed models of dinosaurs covering Cynthia Xi and her husband Sam Zhang’s property in Far North Dallas. A Deinonychus, a raptor dinosaur (foreground) and a pair of Parasaurolophus (background), are photographed there, September 18, 2025.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
The family picked their Dallas home in part based on its big yard. They wanted space for their kids and dinosaurs.
Both kids were scared of the dinosaurs initially. Eric, who was three at the time, took about a week to warm up to them. Chloe was only a year old and was nervous around them for over a month. Now, she cleans the triceratops by spitting pool water on its legs.
“My wife told me where she wanted them,” Zhang laughed. “She doesn’t even let me move the couch.”
He had to draw the line when they moved one of the raptors to the front of the house last Halloween.
“It is there for all holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas,” Zhang said. “It is too heavy to move back and forth.”
The T. rex’s leg was broken when it was moved from their previous house. It used to stand on its hind legs but now uses a tree for support with heavy duty straps keeping it up. Zhang hasn’t gotten it fixed because he’s worried that the welding required would melt the surrounding foam and plastic.
The T. rex once stood on its hind legs until one of its legs was broken when it was moved from the family’s previous house. Now it uses a tree for support with heavy duty straps keeping it up.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Zhang said the family was sad when the T. rex broke because it was both of his children’s favorite dinosaur, and it’s no longer safe to ride. But visitors can still see him poking his head out behind a tree.
People from the community usually come up to the door to ask to play with the dinos and as long as there is an adult to supervise, Zhang and Xi are happy for people to come over.
“Having these dinosaurs has brought so much joy not only to our kids, but also to children in the neighborhood. We love sharing that happiness,” Zhang said in an email. “Neighbors and visitors are welcome during the daytime to take photos, touch them, or even sit on them.”
Zhang also hopes that the dinosaurs can provide a safe space for kids like his son who aren’t comfortable talking or don’t know how to express themselves yet.
You’d think that someone who has put so much time, energy, and money into all things dinosaur would be a huge fan of them but Zhang says he’s not.
“It’s just for the kids, they love it,” he said.
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