A day of discovery with knowledge dating back to the dawn of the dinosaurs? We can dig it!

If you’ve ever dreamed of finding a fossil for yourself, you don’t have to travel far to find exactly what you’re looking for. The New Jersey State Museum recently announced that they will be hosting a handful of fossil-hunting expeditions throughout the course of the summer. Each of these excavation adventures will be hosted by Dr. Dana Ehret, Curator of Natural History and vertebrate paleontologist. These expeditions will take place just a short drive up the road at Big Brook Nature Preserve, located at 95 Hillsdale Rd, Colts Neck, NJ 07722. There will be a number of trips throughout the summer, including on Saturday, June 29th, Saturday, June 20th, and Saturday, August 27th.

While on your fossil-hunting journey, Dr. Ehret will lead guests through the Big Brook Nature Preserve, a well-loved hotspot for relics from the Age of the Dinosaurs. Families will have the opportunity to learn more about the prehistoric marine life which at one time roamed our region. Guests will have the opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of proper fossil collecting protocols, as well as additional details regarding identifying any specimens that you may find. Families and guests of all ages are encouraged to attend, but please do be aware that this is a paid event and all members of your party must have a ticket in order to attend. Please note that all attending guests must sign a waiver prior to participation.

For those planning on attending, tickets can be purchased in advance online, linked here: Tickets – NJSM. The cost of admission is $15 per person, and children 5 and under are permitted to attend for free. If you are a member of the New Jersey State Museum, you are in luck – tickets are 50% off! In order to secure your member discount, please contact Melissa.Mantz@sos.nj.gov before purchasing your tickets in order to verify member status and receive your discount code. If the trip needs to be canceled for any reason, guests will receive a full refund. A rain date of August 24th is also reserved in case any outing should need to be rescheduled. Should your plans change before the trip, please notify the New Jersey State Museum at least 72 hours in advance of your trip for a full refund. No refunds will be provided for late cancellations.

For more information on this and other upcoming events at the New Jersey State Museum, please visit their website, linked here: NJSM – Home. You can also follow along with the New Jersey State Museum on Facebook, YouTube, X, and Instagram. For any questions prior to the event, please contact museum staff at info.njsm@sos.nj.gov or (609) 292-6464 for further assistance. Fun with fossils is certain to be a delight for the whole family, so do not miss this opportunity to dig into New Jersey’s earliest inhabitants!

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