Sewell, NJ, USA, By BURO HAPPOLD
The 44,000ft² hybrid mass timber facility features immersive fossil galleries, research workshops, and hands-on learning experiences. It includes full-scale skeletal reconstructions of prehistoric beasts and a virtual reality chamber that transports guests back to the time of dinosaurs. Additionally, it has a theater and event space, nature trails, a paleo-themed playground, and a veranda-wrapped café overlooking the four-acre quarry.
Located in New Jersey, the marl pit contains thousands of fossils from the Cretaceous Period. As the only fossil site of its kind within a major metropolitan area, the fossil park provides an unparalleled opportunity for millions of residents to enjoy an authentic, hands-on exploration of the Earth’s past. Since 2012, nearly 15,000 visitors have dug for their own fossils and have unearthed sea turtles, sharks, fish, crocodiles, and mosasaurs.
The new development features a museum and visitor center, a fossil preparation lab, a nature trail, a paleontology-themed playground, social spaces to accommodate special events, and areas for visitors to participate in paleontological digs at the site.
