Did you know the first nearly complete dinosaur was found in New Jersey? It’s no wonder that New Jersey is home to an amazing new dinosaur museum!
The Edelman Fossil Park & Museum in Sewell, New Jersey, opened in early 2025 and is a fantastic museum for all dinosaur lovers. Featuring fossils found in the quarry next door, as well as other prehistoric creatures that roamed around the lands that are now New Jersey (and nearby), the museum is accessible and interesting for all ages.
Notice: No AI is used to write these posts! I research and write these on my own, either from personal experience or from information I get from friends and family. Thank you for supporting REAL creators.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that, at no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
What To Know Before Visiting the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum
Location and Parking
Edelman Fossil Park is located in Southern New Jersey on the grounds of Rowan University. It’s about 30 minutes from Philadelphia, about an hour from the Philly suburbs, and two hours from New York.
Located at 66 Million Mosasaur Way in Sewell, New Jersey, the parking lot is a short walk to the main entrance and right next to the gorgeous new playground.
Admission
It’s not cheap to visit the Edelman Fossil Museum. A family of 4 will pay over $100 to explore the exhibits. If you want to add on the quarry dig, you’re looking at over $200 for 4 people.
However, the price of admission is on par with other natural history museums, such as the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philly and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Visit the Edelman website for the most up-to-date pricing. You can purchase admission online in advance or at the door.
Cafe
There is a small cafe inside the main entrance of the Edelman Fossil Museum. Quarry Grounds Cafe serves coffee, tea, sandwiches, baked goods, and snacks.
Good to Know: Quarry Grounds Cafe is open to everyone and does not require museum admission to access. It’s a great spot to relax after playing on the playgound!
What To Expect Inside the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum
Exhibits
The main exhibit space at this dinosaur museum isn’t huge, but it’s packed with information!
We loved the full-scale reconstructions of the dinosaurs and other creatures that lived in the region.
What makes this museum more fun and interesting is that many of the fossils featured inside come from the quarry outside.
We learned that New Jersey was actually underwater during the Cretaceous period (66 million years ago), so a large part of the exhibit features marine life. However, dinosaur fossils have been found in New Jersey because their bodies were most likely swept out to sea if they died near the shore.
“Collecting” Fossils
One of the museum’s interactive experiences is virtual fossil collecting. You’re provided a card at the entrance, and with it, you’ll tap various kiosks to collect fossils.
At the end, you can play a game correctly identifying the fossils to win points (and get your name on the leaderboard). It was another fun way to learn more about the animals and fossils inside the museum.
Roaming Experts
During our visit, two experts walked through the exhibits, stopping occasionally to share additional information.
They answered questions and offered fun and interesting facts that built on what we were reading. I enjoyed this so much, and I hope they continue to offer them.
Critter Cove
Before you leave the museum, don’t forget to head downstairs. There you’ll find Critter Cove, which is home to several animals, including rats, cockroaches, and a touch tank.
You’ll learn more about the animals of today and how they are similar to those that lived in the region over 60 million years ago!
Discovery Forest Children’s Area
Across from Critter Cove is Discovery Forest, an area with interactive kiosks and activities where kids can learn more about palentology and geology.
Paid Add-Ons
Quarry Dig
If you want to get your hands dirty and dig up some fossils, the Edleman Park Museum offers the quarry dig experience. You can add it to your museum admission for $25 per person. They also offer it as a separate experience for $40.
The quarry dig is only offered during the warmer months (May through November).
Virtual Reality
Do you want to walk among the dinosaurs? Expedition Voyager is a 15-minute virtual reality experience that challenges you to collect scientific data as you wander through a prehistoric world.
Expedition Voyager is $25 per person, and you must be at least 56 inches tall to participate.
Other Things to Do at Edelman Fossil Park
You can enjoy the grounds of Edelman Fossil Park every day from dawn to dusk, for FREE!
Playground
The Pterosaur Pterrace Playground is a fantastic place for kids to play! They can climb a giant 45-foot-wide Pteranodon and dig for dinosaur fossils at this awesome outdoor play space.
Nature Trails
Next to the playground, there is access to the nature trail, a 1.6-mile dirt trail that winds through the trees and overlooks a peaceful creek.
Is It Worth It?
If you or your family loves dinosaurs, then you will really enjoy this museum. It’s different from other natural history museums, since they focus on animals that lived in the region rather than those that lived all over the world. It was also very exciting to see fossils found on the grounds adjacent to the museum.
The museum itself is rather small compared to other dinosaur museums, but it still offers plenty of information and activities. We spent almost two hours inside the museum, including checking in, exploring the exhibits and critter corner, and perusing the gift shop.
I think it’s also great for local families since the playground and nature trail are open every day!
Read It Now. Pin It For Later!
