Fossil Park and Museum Opening in New Jersey

Family travelers will soon be able to dig real fossils from the era when dinosaurs roamed the New Jersey coastline. Opening in May, Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park and Museum stands above a former quarry filled with fossils from 66 million years ago, providing an irresistible attraction for families traveling in the mid-Atlantic states.

Before heading out to dig for their own fossil, families can learn about the Late Cretaceous period, when prehistoric creatures roamed the area. In the exhibits and at hands-on learning stations, learn how this world full of life came to a sudden end when a massive meteorite destroyed dinosaur life.

It’s not all about 66 million years ago: In the Hall of Extinction and Hope, visitors can consider climate change and how to take action against it. At Critter Cove, families can meet live lizards, fish and amphibians genetically related to Late Cretaceous creatures.

The Hall of Cretaceous Seas is a series of marine recreations, including the sea-dwelling mosasaur, a lizard unearthed just outside the museum. You can be sure this will further inspire kids to join paleontologists below and dig for their own fossils. Although they may not find another mosasaur, there’s a good chance of taking home a shell fossil or a few shark’s teeth.