The Story Behind Dinosaurs in Green Lake, Wisconsin
Why are there dinos at Town Square?
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a t-rex at a courthouse?! 🏛️🦕🦖
You’re not alone in wondering what dinosaurs are doing outside Green Lake County’s former courthouse building, now Town Square Community Center. This is the tale of how these prehistoric residents arrived in downtown Green Lake – and what they mean to our community.
A t-rex footprint on the Town Square lawn! Cue the Jurassic Park theme song.🎵
WE DREAM BIG
At Town Square, we believe in dreaming big and going big. It started with transforming an abandoned courthouse into a thriving, privately funded community center. Now, each year we welcome thousands of visitors through our doors and offer hundreds of programs and events for people of all ages.
Children’s programs are an important pillar of our mission. In 2021, a dinosaur-themed event was hatched and we needed a mammoth-sized way to spread the word. Enter a dynamic duo with personalities bigger than their footprints: Patty the apatosaurus and Trev-rawrrr the t-tex.
Patty made her grand entrance to Green Lake strapped on a flatbed trailer, delighting children all along the 20-mile journey.
FIRST CAME PATTY, THE GENTLE GIANT
While driving through Neshkoro, Wis.,Town Square board member Claire Maes spotted a long-necked apatosaurus that seemed to have lost the pep in her step. Claire gazed into those longing eyes and knew Patty would find a newfound purpose at Town Square.
Patty was immediately a hit with the community. In her first months, she turned heads at Crossroads Market’s parking lot party, bonded with kids at the Boys & Girl’s Club Trunk or Treat, and explored all corners of Town Square’s lush lawn. She especially loved Friday afternoons when families gathered on the square for the farm market.
Despite her popularity, it was lonely when everyone left at the end of the day. Patty needed a companion
Town Square board member and co-founder Phil Burkart has worn many hats over the years, including dino wrangler. Of course it wasn’t Patty he needed to keep in line…
ENTER: TREV-RAWRRR THE TROUBLEMAKER
By the time Claire returned to Neshkoro, Patty’s original herd had migrated elsewhere. But she would stop at nothing to find Patty a worthy companion. Eventually her search led to an eligible bachelor in Montello, Wis.
Pick me! Pick me! A t-rex struck his best pose to win over Claire’s heart. Would he win Patty’s too?
Trev-rawrrr garnered lots of attention from passersby as he was loaded onto the trailer. The police even stopped to direct traffic! He soaked up every moment of the spotlight as he made his dramatic debut in Green Lake.
Would mischievous Trev-rawrrr fit in with calm and collected Patty? Fortunately, opposites proved to attract. The two became fast friends and Dino Daze came roaring back bigger and better than ever.
The 2023 Dino Daze featured dinosaur-themed games, arts and crafts, presentations, and – of course – photo ops! Photo by Jack Harp
Patty and Trev-rawrrr’s responsibilities soon grew beyond the annual dino event. They began dressing up to highlight other Town Square happenings including monthly themed Bingo and a snow depth contest in winter.
MORE THAN MASCOTS
Patty and Trev-rawrrr have become more than beloved mascots. They represent much of what Town Square embodies: the possibilities of cultivating curiosity, scaling up, letting go, and joining forces with friends old and new.
Their presence delights visitors of all ages, sparking imaginations and inviting everyone to ponder the vastness of time – from the Jurassic period to a treasured historical building to our future legacy.
Your turn to continue the story
It’s time to leave your own footprint at Town Square! Here are two ways you can help us spread the magic (and avoid extinction):
Share a dino selfie and tag @TownSquareCommunityCenter
Make a gift that directly impacts future programs and events