Summary4 min read

The Urbanist: Tall Stories 469

Tyra: The World’s Largest Dinosaur, Drumheller

Date: July 28, 2025
Host: Andrew Tuck
Reporter: Sheena Rossiter

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode shines a spotlight on Tyra, the world’s tallest dinosaur statue and iconic symbol of Drumheller, Alberta. With Tyra’s dismantling slated for 2029, reporter Sheena Rossiter explores how this fiberglass behemoth shaped the town’s identity, drew global tourism, and sparked an emotional response from a community determined to save its beloved landmark.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Drumheller’s Dinosaur Heritage and Tourism

Drumheller, a small town of about 8,000 residents, sits in Alberta’s Badlands, renowned for their prehistoric landscape.
The town brands itself as the dinosaur capital of the world, welcoming around a million visitors annually.
- Main attractions include the Royal Tyrrell Museum (130,000 fossils) and participation in amateur paleontology experiences.
- (01:04) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "Drumheller bills itself as the dinosaur capital of the world, and around a million dinosaur-crazed people flock to Drumheller every year to see the some 130,000 fossils housed in the Royal Tyrrell Museum and become an amateur paleontologist for an afternoon."

2. Creation and Significance of Tyra

In 2000, following 3 years of development, Drumheller unveiled Tyra the T. rex:
- 25 meters tall, 46 meters wide, weighing over 65 tons; made of fiberglass; painted bright green with a yellow underbelly.
- Visitors can climb 106 stairs to Tyra's mouth for expansive views, attracting 150,000 annual visitors.
- (02:08) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "Now, Tyra isn't exactly to scale. She's actually four and a half times bigger than a real Tyrannosaurus rex was, and it cost over a million Canadian dollars to build the structure."
- Tyra’s size and playful kitsch appeal turned her into a cherished symbol, especially for families.

3. Announcement of Tyra’s Removal and Community Reaction

The Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce announced in early 2025 that Tyra and the visitor center will be dismantled in 2029, citing a shift in focus to business development.
- The news made nationwide headlines and shocked the local community.
- Immediate grassroots response included a petition on change.org, quickly gathering over 25,000 signatures.
- (04:39) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "The idea of losing Tyra shocked locals so much that one even went as far as comparing the potential loss of Tyra to the equivalent of Paris removing the Eiffel Tower from its skyline."

4. Efforts to Save Tyra

Following public backlash and reevaluation by the Chamber, Tyra will undergo an engineering study in autumn 2025.
- The study will determine what repairs or investments are required to preserve the statue.
- The community awaits the results, hoping the landmark can remain.
- Tyra is set to stay through at least 2029, but her ultimate fate is still undecided.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Drumheller’s Transformation:
- (00:49) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "Winding down the road an hour and a half east of Calgary, the landscape shifts... It's almost as if you're being transported back to prehistoric times."
On Tyra’s Impact:
- (02:48) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "More than 150,000 visitors annually climb up the 106 stairs to hang out in Tyra's mouth and get a view of the area. Now, a fiberglass, oversized, kitschy dinosaur might seem like an eyesore to some, but to a toddler's imagination, this is exactly what's needed..."
On Community Outcry:
- (04:39) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "The idea of losing Tyra shocked locals so much that one even went as far as comparing the potential loss of Tyra to the equivalent of Paris removing the Eiffel Tower from its skyline."
On Tyra’s Legacy:
- (05:29) Sheena Rossiter:
  
  "She might not be on the bucket list for global tourists to visit, but her legend still lives large amongst locals."

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:09 — Introduction to Drumheller & Tyra's impending removal
00:49 — Drumheller's landscape, dinosaur heritage, and tourism impact
01:49 — Tyra’s creation, scale, and role as a town fixture
03:45 — Official announcement of Tyra's removal by 2029
04:06 — National reaction and petition campaign
04:39 — Reflections on Tyra’s cultural significance
05:00 — Engineering assessment and uncertain future

Conclusion

Tyra, Drumheller’s towering dinosaur, emerges in this episode as far more than a roadside curiosity. Her impending removal exposes the emotional and economic threads that entwine pop architecture and civic identity. Through local pride and activism, the fight to save Tyra is a testament to how even the quirkiest landmarks shape the spirit and cohesion of a small town.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:10]
A
Drumheller, a small town in the middle of Alberta's Badlands, punches above its weight when it comes to tourism. And one of the prime attractions is Tyra, the world's tallest dinosaur. However, the 25 meter tall figure will become a piece of history come 2029. You're listening to Tour Stories, a monocle production brought to you by the team behind the Urbanist. I'm Andrew Tuck. In this episode, Sheena Rossiter tells us Tyra's story and how the community and country are reacting to news of her removal.
[00:50]
B
Winding down the road an hour and a half east of Calgary, the landscape shifts as you enter the quaint town of Drumhell. It's almost as if you're being transported back to prehistoric times. The predominantly sandstone rock juts out the earth and it looks like a time when the dinosaurs roamed this part of the world. The western Canadian province of Alberta is one of the best places to go for dinosaur enthusiasts. The southeastern pocket of the province is home to the Dinosaur Provincial park, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum sits in just outside the town itself. Drumheller bills itself as the dinosaur capital of the world, and around a million dinosaur crazed people flock to Drumheller every year to see the some 130,000 fossils housed in the Royal Turrell Museum and become an amateur paleontologist for an afternoon. The amount of visitors is nothing short of an impressive feat for a town that is barely more than 8,000 residents so close to. Thirty years ago, the town of Drumheller decided to lean into this dinosaur fandom even harder. Drumheller and the district Chamber of commerce decided that the town would be home to the world's tallest dinosaur. After three years of planning, coordination and construction, Tyra the Tyrannosaurus was born. Sitting on the corner of Gorgosaurus street and Tyrannosaurus drive, Tyra stands 25 meters tall, measures 46 wide and weighs over 65 tons. The fiberglass, bright green dinosaur with yellow underbelly opened its doors and its mouth to visitors in October of the year 2000. Now, Tyra isn't exactly to scale. She's actually four and a half times bigger than a real Tyrannosaurus rex was, and it cost over a million Canadian dollars to build the structure. More than 150,000 visitors annually climb up the 106 stairs to hang out in Tyra's mouth and get a view of the area. Now, a fiberglass, oversized, kitschy dinosaur might seem like an eyesore to some, but to a toddler's imagination, this is exactly what's needed but earlier this year, devastating news struck. Come 2029, Tyra will become extinct, and the lovable landmark that towers over the skyline in the Badlands will be the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce, which leases the land the iconic statue sits, announced that Tyra and the accompanying visitor center will be dismantled four years from now, the chamber said. While this announcement is a difficult one, it's also an opportunity for the Chamber to refocus its core mission, supporting local businesses, advocating on their behalf, and fostering economic growth in Drumheller.
[03:57]
C
Here's the latest news for Red Deer in Central Alberta. Drumheller's mayor is hoping the town can find a solution to keep one of its most famous tourist attractions open.
[04:06]
B
The announcement made headline news across Canada and even triggered an emergency meeting between the Chamber and travel drum Heller to discuss the future fate of Tyra. A local businessman even created a petition to save the beloved landmark on change.org within a few days, it already garnered more than a thousand signatures, and it didn't take long for the petition to amass over 25,000 signatures in total. The idea of losing Tyra shocked locals so much that one even went as far as comparing the potential loss of Tyra to the equivalent of Paris removing the Eiffel Tower from its skyline. Of course, Tyra the T Rex is far from being a UNESCO World Heritage site, but in the hearts and minds of locals, Drumheller wouldn't be the same without her. So what's the future fate of Tyra now? After the backlash, many people were surprised how beloved Tyra had become, and the Chamber of Commerce started to think how she can be saved from extinction. She will now undergo an engineering study in the fall to see what sort of work and at what cost needs to be done in order to keep Tyra standing. After that poking and prodding is all done, locals will be eagerly awaiting to see what will happen. In the meantime, Tyra will be around for a few more years regardless. She might not be on the bucket list for global tourists to visit, but her legend still lives large amongst locals.
[05:48]
A
Tall Stories is a monocle production from the team behind the Urbanist. This episode was written by Sheena Rossiter and produced and edited by David Stevens. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to receive new episodes every week. I'm agitarq. Goodbye and thank you for listening, City Lovers.