World-class wonder

Edelman Fossil Park & Museum: Discover the past. Protect the future.

By Rowan University

March 21^st, 2025

In the heart of Southern New Jersey, the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum moved closer to welcoming the public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 20. On March 29, guests will start to visit what Smithsonian Magazine named one of the 10 most anticipated openings of museums in the world.

Welcome to a world before time

Perched 65 feet above a fossil-filled quarry, the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum offers an intimate look at the mass extinction that brought an end to the Cretaceous Period. Chronicled with interactive exhibits, life-size sculptures and carefully preserved fossils, the museum tells the story of what happened to specimens unearthed from beneath visitors' feet.

Feel inspired

“Our goal with the museum is to bring back that childlike sense of wonder and help people feel a deeper connection to the incredible history of our planet,” said Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, founding executive director of the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum. “Right here in South Jersey, we’ve preserved millions of years of history in stunning detail, with each fossil telling its own unique story. We want visitors to feel like they’re stepping into the world of dinosaurs and walk away feeling inspired, empowered and ready to make a difference for the future.”

Imagine and explore

The museum's breathtaking galleries feature full-scale dinosaur sculptures, live animal encounters and an interactive fossil scavenger hunt. Visitors can watch scientists as they examine and catalogue specimens. A premium virtual reality experience takes guests back to the Cretaceous world on a mission to collect scientific samples in a free-roaming adventure.

Inside and out, the museum builds on excavations that began in the 1800s and puts South Jersey on the global map for dinosaur discoveries. More than 100,000 fossils representing more than 100 species of marine and land animals have been collected by researchers at the quarry site. Among them: bus-length mosasaurs, marine crocodiles and sea turtles.

Dig this

On the 123-acre tract, the fossil quarry occupies four acres beneath the ridge where the museum overlooks the dig site to the south and woods all around. A paleo-themed playground, the museum's gift shop, Darwin & Co., and its Quarry Grounds cafe are open to enjoy without purchasing tickets to the museum.

Shop on by

Darwin & Co. isn't just a museum store. It's also a cozy nook for young learners. A theater offers space for special events and educational programming.

From Dig Days to groundbreaking

Community Dig Days brought thousands to the quarry starting in 2012, while Rowan faculty, students and volunteers continued excavating at the research site.

In October 2016, Jean and Ric Edelman returned to their alma mater to announce their $25 million gift to help ensure that the quarry would be preserved and provide for a world-class museum.

Thanks to the Edelmans' investment in the extraordinary project, thousands of visitors each year will experience science that educates, fascinates and inspires people to care for our planet. And anyone willing to get their hands dirty can find a 66 million-year-old fossil to take home.