As audiences prepared months ago to embrace "Jurassic Park" and its prehistory theme, the most popular dinosaur in southern Utah saw its curtain call.
At least three generations of travelers have used the threatening dinosaur head atop the entrance of Moqui Cave as a sign they were making the final approach off "The Sands" and into Kanab Creek and the town of the same name.Constructed in 1963 by Garth Chamberlain of Kanab, the turquoise dinosaur head shadowed the entrance of one of southern Utah's best-known tourist attractions and made its way into history as a landmark.
Chamberlain and his wife, Laura, purchased the cave in 1951 and operated it as a dance hall and tavern for nearly a decade. With the completion of the nearby Glen Canyon Dam and a burgeoning tourist trade, the Chamberlains revamped their cave into a museum-like attraction that is said to include one of the largest fluorescent mineral displays in the country, as well as a variety of Western art and historic artifacts.
Chamberlain, who played football for the Pittsburg Steelers in 1945-46 and was well-known in Utah as the first BYU football player drafted by the NFL, turned his hands to artistry and became well-known throughout the region as a respected silversmith, woodcarver and bronze sculptor.
Evidence of Chamberlain's interests were left behind in the cave following his death in 1988 and include an inlaid, mosaic bar-top that stands in the main foyer. At least eight pieces of Chamberlain's final bronze works are also on display.
"That was like his final statement," said the couple's son, Lex Chamberlain. Lex and his wife, LeeAnne, relocated from Phoenix when the family considered selling Moqui Cave. They now own and operate the cave and have redesigned its exterior to reflect the area's Anasazi heritage. Some people have mourned the loss of the dinosaur head, but the cave needed a face lift - a change, he said.
"I say, `Hey, it got too expensive to feed him,' " Lex said.
"Or, `He ate too many tourists, it became bad for business.' " In any case, the dinosaur is gone and in its place is an authentic-looking Anasazi ruin.
The entrance is one of nearly 40 remodeling projects in store for the cave. During the summer season, the cave is flooded with tourists, eager to escape the searing heat and rest amid the cool depths of the museum/cavern. Moqui Cave closes around November, in sync with the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and opens in April. The couple saves the quiet winter months for repairs and maintenance projects.
The cave is partially man-made, Lex said. Originally, it measured 60 feet in diameter and was later enlarged by a mining company, which extracted silica sand and sent it north to Provo.
Locals remember the cave as a popular dance spot in the late 1950s and now as a sure stop on any tour of the region.
Located some five miles north of Kanab on U.S. 89, the cave is accessible to the handicapped and features a curio shop, multiple artifact and art displays and the mineral collection. Lex, tall and slender with his ever-present cowboy hat, is an insightful tour guide and is quick to share his wealth of trivia and fact about the region he and his family call home.
This article is one of a weekly series on the people, places and issues along Utah's U.S. 89.