Dinosaurs have always been a big deal in our house. Since my youngest was knee-high to a grasshopper, he has been obsessed with all things prehistoric. Searching out dino-related excursions was always at the top of our family adventure hit list. If you have dino lovers in your life, they are gonna flip over these dino-might adventures.
Penn Dixie Fossil Park
Penn Dixie was one of my family’s favorite destinations on this list. This is a shale quarry in Buffalo that is just loaded with fossils from the Devonian period. You can keep whatever fossils you find. Our find was quite substantial when we visited. My entire family had a fantastic time searching for fossils. Penn Dixie is most famous for its trilobites. There are lots of other fossils to be discovered in the quarry, such as brachiopods, corals, clams, gastropods, cephalopods, crinoids, and bryozoans.
Museum of the Earth
This museum, located in Ithaca, is dedicated to the study of Paleontology. This museum is extremely kids friendly, with lots of hands-on exhibits. The museum covers a wide range of prehistoric periods. Kids will love the museum’s collection of full-size dinosaur fossils as well as its complete mastodon skeleton.
The Most
The Most or Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science is a completely interactive, hands-on museum that makes learning fun. The MOST feature a large number of exhibits that focus on various aspects of science. The most popular exhibit by far is the auto-animatronic life-size dinosaurs. There are lots of other fun dino-related experiences that kids can immerse themselves in, such as a simulation of a dig site, where kids can try their hands at being a paleontologist.
Gilboa Fossil Forest and Gilboa Museum
Did you know that New York State has a petrified forest? The Gilboa Fossil Forest is the remains of a prehistoric Devonian period forest. There is a small outdoor exhibit of petrified wood fossils. These are the original Gilboa fossils. In 2008 the Gilboa Dam was under restoration when new fossils were discovered at the construction site, including the remains of a Devonian forest floor. The Gilboa Museum has an extensive collection of fossils from the area. While the outdoor exhibit can be seen all year round, the museum is only open on weekends from Memorial Day until Columbus Day.
DinoRoar Valley
A new addition to a long-time Lake George attraction, Magic Forest. DinoRoar Valley is made up of life-size dinosaurs set up in realistic settings along a 1/2-mile trail in the woods. There are 16 life-like dinosaurs in this attraction, including a replica of the largest dinosaur ever discovered, Titanosaurus, as well as everyone’s favorites, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptors, and Spinosaurus. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about these enormous creatures that once dominated the Earth. The park has a lot of fun activities for kids to participate in to promote education through fun.
Staghorn Cliffs
Located along the eastern shore of Skaneateles Lake is one of New York State’s most important paleontological sites, the Staghorn Cliffs. This is the remnants of an ancient Devonian coral reef. You can only reach this spot by boat, but if you decide to explore the shoreline of these cliffs, you can find fossils embedded in the rocks. It is illegal to remove fossils from this site.
Rochester Museum of Science
This science museum has lots of fun exhibits for kids to explore, including an entire exhibit on prehistoric Earth. Expedition Earth explores how the earth and the creature that lived upon it evolved through time. The museum has a full-size allosaurus skeleton, fossilized dinosaur footprints, and a complete mastodon skeleton. Kids can participate in lots of fun activities, including a dig that is wheelchair accessible.
American Museum of Natural History
If you should find yourself in the New York City area, a visit to this museum is an absolute must, not just to see the museum so prominently featured in Night at the Museum but for the museum’s massive dinosaur collection. The American Museum of Natural History has a huge collection of dinosaur fossils, including a Tyrannosaur Rex and Titanosaurs, the largest dinosaur ever discovered. The museum has several halls dedicated completely to dinosaur fossils and has more full skeletons than most science museums. The collection at this museum is one of the most impressive in the world.
Buffalo Museum of Science
The Buffalo Museum of Science is an excellent science museum that allows for lots of learning through play. The hands-on activities cover all sorts of science topics and make the information easy to understand. This museum has an amazing prehistoric collection in its Rethink Extinct exhibit that takes you on a tour through the past, beginning with Paleozoic Era. It also has two enormous full-size skeletons, Stanley and Seymour. Seymour is the skeleton of a mastodon, not a dinosaur but still prehistoric, and Stanley is an Albertosaurus.
Do you know of other dinosaur or prehistoric destinations hiding in New York State? What is your favorite dino-themed destination? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.