Looking to purchase a dinosaur?

DANBURY TWN. – In case you were curious, the dinosaurs are not for sale. Not individually, at least.

People looking to buy a piece of childhood nostalgia will have to buy the 10 acres, home, and hand-sculpted and -painted dinosaurs at 8232 East Harbor Road just outside Marblehead — known to many as the Prehistoric Forest.

In 1953, the Mystery Hill fun house and gift shop was established on the site. In the 1960s, a paved road wound through the 10 acres of woods, taking passengers past hordes of dinosaurs, some that spit water or moved their arms at you or growled.

Many northwestern Ohio residents and visitors remember visiting the park and have vivid memories of the sights and sounds of the attractions.

"I was born in 1963 and think my uncle took me in 1966. Probably one of my first ever memories of many. Spent 16 summers at my grandparents' house in Marblehead," said MaryKaye Mackulin, of Cleveland.

The old Jeep-led trams had toy pistols, encouraging children to shoot the "monsters."

"My buddy had a trailer at Shade Tree, and the trail ran behind it. Every morning, you could hear the Jeeps and trailers drive by and wake us up," said Ben Okuly, of Findlay.

In 1995, Len Tieman and his wife, Denise, purchased the park and decided to take it in a more family-friendly direction.

The park had multiple owners by then and had become a little run-down. It added an arcade, a volcano to walk through, a miniature golf course, a playset and bathrooms for guests.

"We didn't want it to be scary or gory," Tieman said. "We designed it to be for age 15 and under, more for children than adults."

Gone were the trams and the pistols; now the pathway would be for walking. It allowed for children to stop and take pictures with the long-gone creatures, something they couldn't do on the ride.

"You'd be surprised how many tiny little kids knew so much more about dinosaurs than the adults. It was incredible," reminisced Lisa Ashton, of Port Clinton.

Tieman considered buying new dinosaurs to add to the park but, after seeing the astronomical price tags, decided to create his own.

"People loved to watch us create them," Tieman said.

They began to sculpt and paint the new dinosaurs, many of which were small and child-friendly, in the park daily.

But health issues and Denise's retirement took their toll, and the Tiemans decided to close the park permanently in 2010 after 15 years of ownership.

In the five years since closing, Tieman has been bombarded with calls, letters, emails and visits from people interested in the park — whether it be to purchase a dinosaur or encourage him to reopen.

"At one point, I was thinking about selling the dinosaurs, but then I thought, if someone wanted to re-open the park, they would have to buy all new dinosaurs," he said.

The entire property, dinosaurs and all, will go up for auction with Pitzer Realty on July 25.

Mystery Hill was torn down after safety concerns, but he still has the plans if the new owner would like to rebuild.

The new owner also will be able to decide whether they'll reopen the park or sell the dinosaurs and turn it into something new. Possibilities include a paintball range, an RV park, a recreation center with entertainment space, or something else entirely.

"I would like for them to keep it like it is," he said. "That's how everyone remembers it."

He and his wife will remain in the area, and Tieman said he would like to keep building dinosaurs and experimenting with art.

"I've got a few offers to build dinosaurs for people, I'm considering it," he said. "I've always been artistic."

But until then, Tieman is ready to move on with his life.

"I'm just tired. We've had a lot of fun. We had the greatest employees — they came back every year," he said. "It's time to let someone else take the reins. They won't have trouble attracting people here. Everybody knows where it is."

jdenton@gannett.com

419-734-7506

Twitter: @jessicadentonNH

Learn More

For more information, go to www.prehistoricforest.com.