The Dinosaur Farm in South Pasadena Turns 30

Dinosaur Farm (Photo – The Dinosaur Farm)

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out by a giant meteorite. The challenges faced by the popular Dinosaur Farm toy store over the last few years were not quite as epic, but they were considerable.

One of the nation’s top-rated independent toy stores, The Dinosaur Farm, made it through the COVID shutdown in 2020.  Then it had to survive a four-month closure in 2023 due to severe damage caused by Southern California’s record-breaking rainstorms.

Survive it has. On Friday, September 27, the public is invited to celebrate The Dinosaur Farm’s 30th anniversary.   There will be activities, refreshments, and live music during store hours, 10:00 am to 8:30 pm.

Owner David Plenn, a musician/songwriter, and his wife Shelley Stephens, an artist and museum store consultant, founded The Dinosaur Farm in 1994 in South Pasadena. They were inspired by their then-toddler son’s interest in the big reptiles and by other young dinosaur fans that Stephens observed while working at Los Angeles’ Natural History Museum.

Living up to its motto, “Not Your Ordinary Toy Store,” The Dinosaur offers a wide range of educational and “just-for-fun” toys, books, and craft kits for children of all ages (infants, too). It counts positive reviews from Forbes, BuzzFeed, and USAToday among its accolades, and many customers are parents who grew up coming to the store and now shop there with their own children.

The Dinosaur Farm’s celebratory event on September 27 will include refreshments and pop-up sales tables during the day, a free arts & crafts activity at 3:00 pm, and an “official” party at 5:00 pm.  At the party, they will unveil a special T-shirt “based on a piece of artwork that a local six-year-old gave us to cheer us up while we were closed last year,” Plenn said. To close out the evening, Plenn, his musician son Taylor, and others will perform. The Dinosaur Farm is located at 1510 Mission St., South Pasadena, 91030.

For more information: @thedinofarm, (626) 441-2767.

The Dinosaur Farm’s 30th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, Sept. 27, 2024
10:00 am - 8:30 pm 
Location
The Dinosaur Farm
1510 Mission St.
South Pasadena