Crystal Palace's Victorian dinosaurs return after multi-million pound restoration

The world's first life-sized dinosaur models, a set of 172-year-old sculptures in London's Crystal Palace Park, have been restored to their original 1850s appearance following a £5 million conservation project, multiple outlets reported.

"the anatomically inaccurate icons repaired and repainted to their original specs"

Time OutThe Crystal Palace Park dinosaurs have been restored to their full Victorian glory

According to Time Out, the sculptures are known for being anatomically inaccurate by modern standards, yet the restoration deliberately preserved their Victorian-era design. The project was part of a wider revamp of the park, Dezeen noted, and was led by UK architecture studio HTA Design.

DezeenHTA Design restores historic 172-year-old dinosaur sculptures at London's Crystal Palace Park

"returning them to colours based on their original 1850s appearance"

ianvisits.co.ukCrystal Palace’s famous dinosaurs restored to their Victorian glory

Ianvisits.co.uk reported that the multi-million-pound conservation effort focused on repairing the famous prehistoric figures and restoring their paint scheme to match historical records. Artsprofessional.co.uk also covered the refurbishment as part of a roundup of notable cultural stories.

artsprofessional.co.ukIn other news: Crystal Palace dinosaur refurb, Proms musicians' support + NPG's youth club - Arts

Dezeen emphasized the historical significance of the sculptures, which had fallen into disrepair over the decades. The restoration preserves what are believed to be the earliest life-sized dinosaur reconstructions in the world, a Victorian paleontological landmark that continues to draw visitors.