Drumheller ditching iconic dinosaur

Lacie Nairn,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A beloved figure in the community, Tyra the World’s Largest Dinosaur, is slated to go the way of the dinosaurs at the end of 2029.

Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce announced during its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, March 26, that the World’s Largest Dinosaur, along with the Visitor Information Centre and gift shop, will close at the end of its current lease term in December 2029.

“Following the end of the lease in December 2029, and as per the conditions in our lease, we will dismantle Tyra and remove her from the site,” shares Chamber Executive Director Heather Bitz. “We have no plans to build a new attraction.”

Tyra is over four times larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex she is modeled after, coming in at over 25 metres tall and weighing over 65 tonnes. Her sheer size alone would make relocation a daunting task, but the construction of steel combined with aging fibreglass means an even more difficult task, and the Chamber shared in its announcement it was not exploring options to relocate the structure.

The Chamber’s announcement created an uproar on local social media. Many expressed their dismay at the announcement, sharing that Tyra is not only a beloved fixture to Drumheller residents, but also an iconic figure worldwide which has become synonymous with Drumheller.

There was also confusion about the ownership of the World’s Largest Dinosaur.

The Chamber of Commerce, which owns Tyra, is a separate entity from the Town of Drumheller. Ms. Bitz explains the organization is a non-profit and is “guided by a Board of Directors.” The building occupied by the Chamber, as well as the land where Tyra stands, is owned by the Town of Drumheller, and the Chamber merely has a longstanding lease agreement with the Town.

Since first opening on October 13, 2000, the World’s Largest Dinosaur has attracted over 2.7 million visitors in its almost 25 years of operations, with the highest visitation record in 2001 with 145,517 people visiting the attraction. In 2024, a total of 132,600 visitors made the climb to the lookout in Tyra’s toothy grin. Although visitation was up 20 per cent over the five-year average of 111,000 visitors last year, the Chamber says visitation has declined slightly “after a couple of years of peak visitation.”

Not only has Tyra attracted over 2.7 million visitors, proceeds from both admissions and gift shop sales have supported numerous local community projects in the Drumheller region through the World’s Largest Dinosaur Legacy Fund. Since 2000, a total of $842,629 has been reinvested back into the Drumheller region through the fund; over $40,000 was reinvested in 2024 alone, including to support an outdoor ice-skating trail pilot project by the Badlands Trail Society, and also the Midlandvale Community Hall Association to support their outdoor accessible rink project.

Visitation at the adjacent Visitor Information Centre has also declined, with staff serving just over 31,000 in 2024. Ms. Bitz shares the Chamber currently operates the Visitor Information Centre as part of its lease agreement, and on behalf of the Town, but shares there are no plans to continue this once the current lease expires in December 2029.

“While we are deeply saddened to hear of this news, we were unaware of this decision until it was made public at the Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting (on March 26),” says Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg. “As this transition unfolds, we look forward to working collaboratively with the Chamber, Travel Drumheller, and our community to honour the legacy of the beloved Tyra, the World’s Largest Dinosaur, while shaping the next chapter for Drumheller.”

On Thursday, March 27, Town of Drumheller council called a special meeting to discuss the announcement, and moved to discuss the future of the World’s Largest Dinosaur with both the Chamber and Travel Drumheller.

Council members expressed the announcement had come as a surprise, with the Mayor and Councillor Patrick Kolafa only finding out during Wednesday night’s AGM announcement, only hours ahead of the Chamber’s press release. It was also noted during the special meeting that while the Chamber had noted in its announcement that the Town “has plans that consider long-term redevelopment of the site,” no plans have been determined at this time and the future of the site is “uncertain at this time.”

Lacie Nairn,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Drumheller Mail