Zero to 60 Charlottesville: Professor Cline's Monster Museum and Dinosaur Kingdom

A few months ago, I wrote about one of Virginia's "American Roadside Attractions", Dinosaur Land.  A few weeks ago, I found another Virginia dinosaur park, this one, though, set within a wooded area, with trails running around and through remarkable foam and fiberglass sculptures of Yankee-soldier-eating  dinosaurs.  Yes, that's what I said... Union soldiers were being eaten by dinosaurs.

Perhaps I should back up...

We had spent the morning at the Virginia Safari Park, laughing our way through three miles of bison, deer, emu, and watusi cattle.  For lunch, we stopped at The Pink Cadillac Diner, located along Rt. 11, South Lee Hwy, at Natural Bridge, Virginia.  It's a busy place, but the food is perfectly diner-esque, and the 50-60's decor is tacky, amusing, and worth the wait (which you will probably do, because it's a happening place during the weekends).  Anyway, this guy to the left caught my eye as we exited our car. 

This guy to the right greets you as you enter the restaurant. 

I knew about Professor Cline, aka  Mark Cline, and his wacky creations (these are a couple), and seeing these told me a visit to his Monster Museum was definitely in order.  So...

After lunch, we made our way to the Natural Bridge Museum, where we bought tickets and then crossed the street to The Professor Cline Haunted Monster Museum and Dinosaur Park.  This is the entrance.

It was raining at this point, so my photographs are not terrific, but the Haunted House tour is definitely odd.  The Washington Post has called Cline's creation the "Number One Weird Wonder of Virginia".  Cline has converted an authentic Victorian manor home into this wierd, decidedly unnerving haunted house experience.  The website describes it

"Don’t expect the typical Halloweenish blood, guts, and gore venue. The Monster Museum is more like an adventure into an old Vincent Price movie of the 1950s." 

I concur 100%. 

After you've made your way through the haunted house, you are directed to the Dinosaur Park.  Again, the Washington Post has commented... they call this "amazing, brilliant, and hilarious," and it's no wonder.  The premise behind Yankee-soldier-eating-dinosaurs is, first... Remember, this is Lexington, Virginia country, so Civil War history important; this is Confederate country.  Cline, in his bizarre, warped way, has created the following scenario...

 

The Haunted Monster Museum and Dinosaur Kingdom are both included in one ticket price.The directions below are to the Wax Museum, but the gift shop (where you buy tickets), is right there, and the Cline complex is across the street.

DIRECTIONS FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE

 

It's about the many interesting and fun things to do, see, and learn in and around Charlottesville, within 60 miles.

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