Crystal Palace Dinosaurs listed buildings from 1973, extensively restored in 2002, and upgraded to Grade I listed in 2007. The models represent fifteen genera of extinct animals, not all dinosaurs. They are from a wide range of geological ages, and include true dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and plesiosaurs mainly from the Mesozoic era, and some mammals from the more recent Cenozoic era. Following the closure of the Great Exhibition in October 1851, Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace was bought and moved to Penge Place atop Sydenham Hill, South London by the newly formed Crystal Palace Company. The grounds that surrounded it were then extensively renovated and
The Crystal Palace navigated their way to Central London by tracking the River Thames. The Crystal Palace grounds were also used as a manufacturing base for aircraft radar screens and other hi-tech equipment of the time. This remained a secret until well after the war. After the destruction of the Palace, the High Level Branch station fell into disuse, and was finally shut in 1954. After the war the site was used for a number of purposes. Between 1927 and 1972 the Crystal Palace motor racing circuit was located in the park, supported by the Greater London Council, but the noise was unpopular