Please note that location entries may feature older photos or post card views that may not represent the current appearance or features of the attraction. This site is intended to be a historical as well as current record of various attractions but it is not always possible to have up-to-date information due to the vast number of locations featured here. We ask you consult the propietor for current information.
Opened in 1963, this attraction featured animatronic dinosaurs and cavemen made of fiberglass and Styrofoam. The animals had motorized jaws and limbs that squeaked open in tandem with tape-recorded roars as tourists passed by in the Safari Train. At the front of the park stood a towering waterfall, a water slide and a volcano that belched smoke. It was campy and kitschy and had the early 1960s written all over it.
The construction of I-94 drew much of the travel traffic away, changing entertainment tastes and redirecting tourists elsewhere. The theme parks along U.S.-12 began to wither, the tourist stops closed and the route is now a graveyard of once-popular roadside attractions.
When Prehistoric Forest closed in 1999, many of the dinosaurs were left behind in the woods, suffering through Michigan’s harsh seasons. They also became a favorite target of vandals. As of 2019 the new owner had plans of restoring and re-opening the property according to the Detroit Free Press.