Rapid City in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Triceratops

(Triceratops horridus)

— Then and Now —

Triceratops Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

1. Triceratops Marker

Inscription.

SIZE: 30 feet long & 9.5 feet tall
WEIGHT: 6-13 tons
DIET: Herbivore
NAME MEANING: Three horned face
DINOSAUR CLASSIFICATION: Ceratopsia
TIME PERIOD: Late Cretaceous (68-66 million years ago)
MOVEMENT: Quadrupedal

QUICK FACTS:
① The Triceratops has only two true horns, one located above each eye. The 'horn' located above the nose was made from the same type of keratin proteins as a rhinoceros horn and your fingernails!

② Triceratops are one of the more abundant dinosaurs unearthed by paleontologists due to its large skull (Often over 10 feet long!) being resistant to erosion.

③ Its skull made up one third of its total body weight.

④ They are thought to be prey for T. rex since they lived in the same time period.

⑤ The frill of bone at the back of the skull was likely used for attracting a mate, warning others of potential dangers, and regulating body temperature.

⑥ It had a parrot-like beak to shear off plant material and rows of teeth to grind vegetation.

⑦ Scientists think the Triceratops spent most of its life alone rather than in herds because most fossils

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

have been found alone. What do you think?

⑧ A Triceratops skull is on display right here in Rapid City at the amazing Museum of Geology, on the South Dakota Mines Campus! THIS SKULL'S THE ACTUAL STATE FOSSIL! WOW!

THEN [Early photo of the sculpture]

NOW [Modern artist rendition of the dinosaur]

Erected by City of Rapid City.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Paleontology • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 44° 4.7′ N, 103° 14.749′ W. Marker is in Rapid City, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and sculpture are in Dinosaur Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 940 Skyline Drive, Rapid City SD 57701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West River

and in the Badlands.

It is also in the American Black Hills,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and

Triceratops Marker and Sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

2. Triceratops Marker and Sculpture

also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tyrannosaurus Rex (here, next to this marker); The Great Race/Black Hills Geology (a few steps from this marker); Hangman's Hill (a few steps from this marker); Local Lakota: Osh Kosh Camp (a few steps from this marker); The Inconvenient Truth (a few steps from this marker); Apatosaurus (within shouting distance of this marker); Stegosaurus (within shouting distance of this marker); Trachodon (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rapid City.

Triceratops Sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

3. Triceratops Sculpture

Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 10, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.