Beware the T-Rex: Dinosaur Outpost to open in Town Square
Dinosaur lovers and Jurassic Park junkies alike in Las Vegas can thank Tim Clothier’s son for the latest store to open at Town Square.
Clothier, the founder of the Las Vegas-based show props and display company Illusion Projects, said Dinosaur Outpost, which opens at 1 p.m. Friday, is the product of his relationship with his kin.
“My son and I had a serious dinosaur thing,” he said. “So that was what we bonded over for many, many years, and so it just sort of made sense with this.”
The attraction, aimed at kids ages 5 to 12, is located at 6569 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 173 and features 15,000 square feet of interactive dinosaur exhibits. Kids go through a time portal to enter and can do everything from playing tug of war with a Protoceratops and shoot Brussels sprouts from blaster cannons into the mouth of a Brontosaurus to riding on the back of a Pachyrhinosoraus.
Dinosaur Outpost is in a site that was previously a picture frame shop, a shoe store, a soap retailer and a performing arts center. It is also home to the Fossil Fuel Cafe and three party rooms for birthdays and private events.
Clothier said he chose the location because he’s hoping to cater to both Las Vegas residents and tourists who want to give their kids a break from the Strip.
“That’s why I picked Town Square. If I wanted to just go for locals, we could have gone in Summerlin or Henderson, but the beauty of Town Square from a local perspective is locals don’t have to go to the Strip, but people from the Strip can come here easily. It’s an easy Uber ride from any of the hotels.”
Clothier said he has a freelance dinosaur consultant on payroll. However, he’s learned a whole bunch of things about the extinct creatures in the process of setting up and getting everything ready to open.
“There’s a lot that I’ve learned about dinosaurs,” he said. “The historical aspect is obviously super fun, but I’ve also learned that we don’t know as much as we thought we did, and there’s a lot of stuff that is really fascinating. I’ve also learned how to squeeze a T-Rex through a door, and I can tell you, that’s not easy.”
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.