4. The Students’ Lounge in the Boneyard

This lounge area shows off the grad students' personalities

The boneyard is a prominent excavation site where the Dino Institute’s grad students spend most of the day uncovering new finds. This area is packed with little nods to the storyline behind DinoLand USA. You’ll see bulletin boards throughout the area that provide more than just a lesson on prehistoric fossils. Many have entire scientific debates played out through back-and-forth notes between students.

The best spot for getting to know the grad students of DinoLand USA is the lounge area on the upper level of the Boneyard. This area is fenced off so you can see the students' lawn chairs, stereo, cooler, and tables, but you can’t actually touch any of these little gems. Take a good look at the whiteboard at the back and you can get to know each student individually. This board features tongue-in-cheek dinosaur names for the students as well as some notes about their personalities.

5. Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures

The tacky gift shop at the hearts of Dinorama

Chester and Hester are the source of all that is bright and gaudy about DinoLand USA. When the Dino Institute came to town and began attracting tourists, Chester and Hester saw a chance to renovate their sleepy gas station and make some big bucks off of the influx of visitors. Thus, Dinorama was born.

Signage around Chester and Hester's shows what was

Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures is at the heart of Dinorama, because it shows you both what was and what is. Look closely at this gift shop and you’ll see the out-of-use gas pumps that are one of the few reminders of what this bright and overwhelming gift shop used to be. Look closely at the signs and you can also see some places where the original gas station signage was painted right over.

6. Primeval Whirl

Dinorama is the gaudy roadside response to Dinosaur

Primeval Whirl is a wacky imitation of Dinosaur. When Chester and Hester heard about the thrilling ride back in time that visitors were taking at the Dino Institute, they decided to try and build a competing attraction for their roadside carnival. Since they couldn’t actually send guests back in time, they decided to simulate the experience as best they could.

Primeval Whirl features the same incline at the beginning that you’ll find in Dinosaur. It also has the jerky “left, right, left, left!” action that Dr. Seeker uses with your time rover. At the end, the meteor hits and the dinosaurs’ story ultimately ends, along with your spin.

Once you begin to see the storyline behind DinoLand USA, you’ll realize that this area is far more than meets the eye. The storyline here is so rich that it actually supports an entire cast of characters, from Chester and Hester to Dr. Seeker to the grad students. Get to know them all a little better on your next visit by hitting up these fascinating spots.