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

Stegosaurus

(Stegosaurus stenops)

— Then and Now —

Stegosaurus Marker image. Click for full size.

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

1. Stegosaurus Marker

Inscription.

SIZE: 30 feet long & 9-13 feet tall
WEIGHT: 6,800 lbs
DIET: Herbivore
NAME MEANING: Roofed Lizard
DINOSAUR CLASSIFICATION: Stegosauria
TIME PERIOD: Late Jurassic (155-145 million years ago)
MOVEMENT: Quadrupedal

QUICK FACTS:
① The Stegosaurus was a slow-moving plant eater.

② They had a low brain to body weight ratio, and their brain was the size and shape of a bent hot dog.

③ The plates along their back are called scutes and are made of a bony lattice structure called osteoderms with blood vessels throughout.

④ The scutes may have been used to regulate body temperature and to attract mates.

⑤ The spike tail was officially named a thagomizer, after a joke written in a 1982 comic strip, The Far Side.

⑥ The Stegosaurus had cheeks which allowed the dinosaur to chew its food before swallowing.

⑦ They likely ate low-lying bushes, shrubs, and other vegetation including ferns, mosses, cycads, fruits, and conifers.

⑧ Research has shown the Stegosaurus had a relatively weak bite (weaker than a human bite).

⑨ Stegosaurus fossils are typically found individually,

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so they were likely solitary creatures. What do you think?

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° 4.668′ N, 103° 14.738′ 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 also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Apatosaurus (a few steps from this marker);

Stegosaurus Marker and Sculpture image. Click for full size.

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

2. Stegosaurus Marker and Sculpture

Trachodon (within shouting distance of this marker); Tyrannosaurus Rex (within shouting distance of this marker); Dinosaur Park History & Creation (within shouting distance of this marker); Triceratops (within shouting distance of this marker); Works Progress Administration (within shouting distance of this marker); The Inconvenient Truth (within shouting distance of this marker); Local Lakota: Osh Kosh Camp (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rapid City.

Stegosaurus Sculpture image. Click for full size.

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

3. Stegosaurus Sculpture

View from Dinosaur Park image. Click for full size.

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

4. View from Dinosaur Park

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 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 10, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.