Louisville has its own triceratops.

She was featured on WAVE-3 News and WDRB-41 News, as well as WFPL.

She has her own Facebook page.

 

She’s a work of modern art with world class pedigree, but still a piece of history that not many are aware of.  She has a story that rolls across decades. Right now, well…you could say that she’s seen better days.

We call her Lottie, or LOT- Louisville’s Own Triceratops. Depending on your age, you might have seen her here in Louisville for the first time on a flatbed truck tour across the country, at the Louisville Zoo, or at the Science Center. Today, Lottie is hidden away at the parking lot of a random warehouse in town, wasting away.

We want to change that.

You don’t have to journey all the way back to prehistoric days for the origin of this great beast. Lottie and her eight dinosaur siblings were carefully constructed of fiberglass by the renowned artist Louis Paul Jonas for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. They were a star attraction, billed as a time traveling stroll through the Jurassic Age. Over 50 million people came to see her. Check out 11:05 of this video- that’s Lottie!

Sinclair Oil sponsored the show, and it was a huge hit. People came from all over the planet to get a glimpse at the most authentic and accurate looking reproductions of Jurassic life available.  They were so popular, in fact, that after the fair’s conclusion, Sinclair took the show on the road.

Lottie first visited Louisville on a flatbed truck, along with her brothers, on a nationwide Sinclair tour. Many Louisvillians remember seeing the giant, vividly rendered creatures on Indian Trail, and taking home Mold-A-Rama machine souvenirs. This was in Fall of 1968.

After the tour’s end, the dinosaurs found their way to various zoos and museums all across America, where they have been maintained and well looked after, in locations where people can still look at them with wonder. Louis Paul Jonas‘ works included recreations of all sorts of animals, and with few exceptions, they reside inside of museums.

Lottie was gifted to the Louisville Zoo in the 70’s, where it was intended that she would remain on public display indefinitely. In the 80’s, she was transported to the Louisville Science Center, but for reasons that are unknown, she was later placed under an overpass downtown. Before this happened, she was a major part of fantastic memories for countless Louisvillians, across generations.

It’s unknown exactly why Lottie has now ended up in the parking lot of a warehouse downtown. Perhaps the city just hasn’t decided what to do with her.

Although she is cracking in places and the tip of her tail is broken, she’s mainly intact. It’s a testament to just how well made Lottie is, that she’s withstood the trials of time so well with so little attention. With just a little bit of TLC, she could be ready to be placed in a position of esteem somewhere in the city.

We believe that it’s time for Lottie to get the star treatment that she deserves.

Who are we? A group of Louisville based history and Pop Culture enthusiasts with various skill sets. Between us all, we have developed several lifetimes worth of expertise in large scale modeling. We have the tools and resources necessary to repair and restore Lottie, including access to the original Jonas scale model for reference.

All we need is permission, a method of transport, and of course, a new residence for this priceless treasure.