I know the marl pits of South Jersey hold a special place in the history of paleontology (Hadrosaurus Foulki: The World’s First Dinosaur), but even so I was unprepared for how much the new Edelman Fossil Park has to offer.

Harvested to fertilize the sandy soils of the garden state, marl is a clay-like residue of the ancient Cretaceous sea floor that once covered South Jersey. Over the years fossils were discovered during excavation, and as the field of paleontology gained recognition in the late 1860’s, squabbles over the fossils found in these quarries set off Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh’s Bone Wars. The quarries gained renewed attention in the 2010’s when evidence supporting the asteroid theory of dinosaur extinction was discovered in one of the quarries located behind a Lowes in Sewell. 

In 2015 the quarry was purchased by Rowan University as the centerpiece of their new School of Earth & Environment, and the fossil museum was opened on-site in spring 2025.  

Filling the two main galleries are dioramas highlighting creatures whose fossils have been found on-site or nearby – from Hadrosaurus to Maoasaurus to Thoracosaurus. It’s very kid friendly, but equally as interesting to our party of science-loving adults. 

A side gallery goes into detail about the extinction and the theory it was caused by the impact of a giant asteroid. One of the sediment layers found on-site records the period immediately after the asteroid hit Earth during which most dinosaur species went extinct. In this layer paleontologists have discovered a bone-bed filled with over 100,000 fossils of more than 100 species, as well as iridium, a metal found in asteroids. 

There is also a cute cafe with a terrace overlooking the dig site. 

Downstairs are the kid-focused galleries, including a live animal room and fossil preparation lab. I’d definitely recommend a late afternoon visit when most of the kids have left so there’s plenty of space to explore one of the best hands-on galleries I’ve encountered in a museum. 

Then there are the outdoor spaces – a pterodactyl-themed playground, nature trails, and best of all, a chance to excavate your own fossils in the quarry (added fee).

Come prepared with mud shoes, sunscreen and water. They provide the equipment and expertise. You have about 30 minutes to dig then guides help identify anything you find. Fossils are numerous, and staff have plenty of extras for anyone who runs out of patience. Signs lining the path describe the various layers and types of fossils that have been discovered in each.

If you enjoy the museum and are eager to go fossil collecting on your own, check out Big Brook (Collecting Shark’s Teeth and Other Fossils in New Jersey).