Rex the Dinosaur: The Jacksonville Roadside Icon That Refuses to Go Extinct

If you’ve driven Beach Boulevard for more than five minutes, you know the moment I’m talking about. One second it’s strip malls and stoplights, the next it’s a giant orange T. rex posted up like he owns the place; because, honestly, he kind of does.

This is the story of Rex the Dinosaur, Jacksonville’s most lovable roadside landmark, and how a hunk of concrete became a piece of civic identity.

Where Rex is today

Rex stands at 10150 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32246, outside the Park Place strip mall area.

It’s free to visit, and you can spot him easily from Beach Blvd as you’re heading toward the beaches; roughly between Southside Blvd and St Johns Bluff Rd S.

A quick “do it right” checklist:

• Park like you’re running an errand.
  
• Best photo timing: late afternoon for softer light; and yes, Rex is known for glowing eyes.
  

The 1960s: Rex’s original job was… mini-golf intimidation

Rex wasn’t born as “public art.” He was marketing.

According to local history coverage, Rex has been in this spot since he was built in the 1960s, originally as part of Goony Golf, a mini-golf-and-family-fun complex that once fit right into that classic roadside-America era.

He wasn’t subtle either. Rex sat beside Beach Boulevard, basically shouting: “Exit now for putt-putt glory!”

A few fun details that still shape the legend:

• Goony Golf was more than putting greens, it had that family-entertainment mix (mini golf, go-karts, etc.).
  
• Rex wasn’t unique; similar big concrete animals existed at other Goony Golf locations, but most disappeared over time.
  
• In one narrative account, Rex even functioned like a moving obstacle; swinging his bone to block golf balls heading for the finish.
  

That’s the magic of these places. They weren’t designed to go viral. They were designed to make a kid beg their parents to pull over.

Late 1990s–early 2000s: the “near extinction” years

Goony Golf faded out.

Multiple accounts place the closure in the late 1990s, with one source citing 1999, followed by a property purchase in the earl.

This is the point where Jacksonville could’ve lost Rex for good. And it almost happened.

When redevelopment came, there was real pressure to remove him, move him, or “solve the dinosaur problem” with a bulldozer. But local sentiment mattered; people fought for him, loudly. One account describes community protest during the ownership transfer that helped spare Rex from demolition.

That’s the part I love most.
Rex didn’t survive because he was efficient. He survived because people cared.

2007: the glow-up that turned Rex into a true landmark

Saving Rex was one thing. Making sure he didn’t crumble into “Florida weather dust” was another.

The big refresh happened in 2007, when Rex was repainted and restored with help from University of North Florida students (the UNF Building Construction Management program is specifically credited in local reporting).

Even the property owner highlights the dinosaur as a defining feature of Park Place, noting the landmark status and the UNF refurbishment.

One note you’ll see depending on the source: Rex is often described as about 20 feet tall, but some property materials list him at 30 feet. So, yes; he’s either “very tall” or “VERY tall.” Both feel emotionally accurate when you’re standing under him.

Rex in 2025

In 2025, the City of Jacksonville leaned into Rex as part of its “I Dig Jax” branding, launching an online merch store after residents asked for Rex-related items, and even running a scavenger hunt with 3D-printed miniature Rex statues hidden around Duval.

That’s the city saying: this weird orange dinosaur belongs to all of us.

Rex made the leap from “local quirk” to shared symbol, the same way certain murals, signs, and neighborhood spots become shorthand for home.

Why Rex matters

Rex is a case study in how place identity actually works.

He’s:

• Unmistakable: you can’t confuse him with anything else on Beach Blvd..
  
• Consistent: he’s been in the same general spot since the 1960s.
  
• Story-rich: Goony Golf era, near-demolition, restoration, civic adoption.