When I first came to Jacksonville in 2016, I remember noticing an oddly-placed dinosaur statue while driving through Beach Boulevard, in the Southside. With cartoon-like features, pumpkin orange skin and red lights for eyes, Rex makes for an attractive landmark. On an otherwise uninspiring landscape flanked by retail outlets and grocery stores, the unassuming demeanor of a giant tyrant lizard with giant bone in hand, is a guaranteed eyeball grabber for passers-by.

Curious to know more, I decided to look for information about the structure. I googled about it only to realize that its name is Rex, after all it is an avatar of the bipedal carnivore, Tyrannosaurus Rex. I even noticed that it had its own coordinates listed on Google Maps with directions to take me the there. Obviously this was no ordinary dinosaur. ‘Historical landmark’ claimed Google search results. It even had reviews on Yelp.

A remnant of the miniature Golf haunt, Goony Golf Complex, Rex was originally one of its unofficial mascots. In the distant past, his mechanical arm would operate a door that collected golf balls at the now no-more Putt Putt golf ground.

I even found a black-and-white photograph of him in the book, ‘Images of America – Jacksonville’s Southside’.

Filed under: jacksonville, travel Tagged: beach boulevard, dinosaur, Florida, jacksonville, Jax, rex, southside jacksonville, t rex