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One Tank Trip back in to pre-historic times in Hamburg

Hundreds of thousands of fossils are everywhere in this quarry
Posted at 1:17 PM, Jul 21, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-22 07:54:40-04

HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — If you're looking for a peaceful escape to nature or to turn back time by 380 million years or so, a trip to Penn Dixie might do the trick.

"You can be basically elbows deep in fossils, all day, every day. Everything is so well preserved and there's so many of them, you are virtually guaranteed to find fossils," said Dr. Holly Schreiber, Associate Director of Penn Dixie.

All those years ago, Western New York was south of the equator and covered by a shallow tropical ocean full of coral reefs, according to Dr. Schreiber.

With a trowel and some extra tools, you're able to split rocks and spot hundreds of thousands of fossils from that time.

It's a unique experience right here in the Southtowns, which many people are returning to.

"We're welcoming back our Canadian friends for the first time in two years, a lot of people are traveling at least in the region coming back to this and we often hear, 'I haven't been here since I was a kid,'" said Dr. Schreiber.

Pricing:

  • $14 for adults
  • $11 for children
  • $1 off for military, students and seniors

Upcoming Events:

  • Shakespeare at Penn Dixie - 7/22
  • Owl Prowl - 8/6
  • Fossil Hunting for Beginners
    • July 23rd, 10am–12 pm 
    • August 13th, 10am–12 pm
    • August 27th, 10am–12 pm
    • September 10th, 10am–12 pm
    • October 8th, 10am–12 pm
  • Scavenger Hunt 8/13
  • Stargazing
    • Saturday, July 16th, 9pm -11 pm (rain date: Saturday, July 23rd)
    • Saturday, August 20th, 8pm – 10 pm (rain date: Saturday, August 27th)