As the great Joe Dirt would say, "Life's a garden. Dig it." In this case... life's a fossil park. Dig it! This epic spot is located just a quick drive from the City of Buffalo in the Southtowns. Penn Dixie was started in the 1990s, but their fossils date back over 400 million years! Read on to check out this amazing site and mark your calendars to visit as soon as they open for the season.
Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve is located south of the city in Blasdell.
You'll find it at 4050 North St., Blasdell, NY 14219.
This epic fossil park is more than just the best near Buffalo - it's been named the best in the US!
According to their website, Penn Dixie is ranked as the #1 fossil park in America. This place is truly a geological treasure – and it's right in our own backyard.
What exactly is this place? We're glad you asked!
The fossil park is located on a former cement quarry. Penn Dixie welcomes visitors of all ages from all over Western New York (and beyond) to dig up the dirt and find fossils of their own.
With 54 acres to explore, there's plenty of opportunity to find your perfect fossils.
And the best news is, you get to keep whatever you find! Penn Dixie simply asks that you snap a photo of your fossil findings so they can add it to their website and share it on social media.
If you want to dig (and you definitely should), there are a few things you should bring.
First things first: a bucket or bag to keep your fossil findings safe. You don't necessarily need to bring tools, as surface collecting in the loose dirt can yield sweet specimens, but digging beneath the surface will allow you to uncover the oldest fossils on the site.
Penn Dixie is home to fossils from the Devonian period.
That means most of the fossils you will find are almost 400 million years old! To dig up the best of the best, bring a rock hammer, chisel, safety goggles, and a small sledge hammer.
You can also rent your digging tools at the fossil park for $5 per day.
Ticket price to dig and find fossils at Penn Dixie is just $9 for adults, $7 for children ages 3-12, and free for kids 2 and under. We highly recommend adding on the tool rental for your visit if you don't have digging tools of your own to bring! It helps to give the full experience of finding fossils to bring home.
Spend as much time as you'd like; there's so much to explore at this epic park.
There are 54 acres of fossil collecting, nature trails, and wetlands to explore at Penn Dixie. Since the site is so large, it rarely ever feels crowded, so you and your family or friends will have plenty of room to roam.
Do you dig it? If you've been to Penn Dixie and found amazing fossils, share your photos with us in the comments below or on Instagram (@onlyinbuffalo) using #onlyinbflo. We can't wait to see your treasures!
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