Of dinosaurs and intergenerational culture wars: Dinomania, nostalgia, and the 'missionary lizards' of young earth creationism.

This article examines how dinosaurs serve as central figures in U.S. cultural debates by comparing their use in mainstream natural history museums and young earth creationist institutions. It highlights the Creation Museum in Kentucky, founded by the Christian organization Answers in Genesis, which employs dinosaur displays to promote a literal biblical interpretation of Earth's history, rejecting evolution and deep time. In contrast, institutions like the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History use dinosaurs to inspire wonder and convey scientific narratives about geological time and climate change. Both types of museums leverage widespread fascination with dinosaurs—termed "dinomania" and intertwined with nostalgia—to attract families and children, yet they present fundamentally opposing worldviews that contribute to ongoing culture wars over science education and public understanding of the past.