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The Under the Sun Foundation's 2026 Sky Art map lists an adult Tyrannosaurus and a group of three juveniles among the more than 130 life-size metal sculptures that Ricardo Breceda made for Galleta Meadows, on private desert land around Borrego Springs, California.
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Galleta Meadows T. rex sculpture
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Approximate location · 33.288° N, 116.376° W
FIELD GUIDE
The story
South of Borrego Springs, in open desert, stand tyrannosaurs: an adult and a group of three juveniles, listed on the Under the Sun Foundation's Sky Art map as part of a collection of more than 130 life-size metal sculptures.
The collection began with a commission. According to the foundation, Dennis Avery, owner of the Galleta Meadows estate, commissioned the work and Ricardo Breceda made it, beginning in 2008. When Avery died in 2012 the Los Angeles Times reported that he had asked Breceda, then of Perris, to create metal dinosaurs and other creatures, many of them species that once lived in the area. The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association tells the story from the artist's side: Breceda made a dinosaur for his daughter, which is when he became an artist, and he later met Avery.
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PRACTICAL
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WHAT TO EXPECT
The tyrannosaurs are outdoor sculptures on privately owned desert land. The Under the Sun Foundation says it balances public access with preserving the undeveloped desert, and asks visitors to carry water, watch for snakes and wildlife, and not climb or touch the art. Stay on existing roads and tracks, as the foundation asks visitors not to make new paths with vehicles. Some pieces are far from paved roads.
ACCESS
South of Christmas Circle, off Borrego Springs Road, set back on its south side, per the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association. Use the foundation's free Sky Art map; soft sand has stranded cars, so check your vehicle suits the track, and stay on existing roads and tracks.
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