Penn Dixie

Opening Day Fossil Hunting

May 1, 2026May 1, 2026Penn Dixie

Saturday May 2, 2026 – 9 am to 4:30 pm

Penn Dixie reopens on May 2, 2026 for our 31st season!!! We will be open to the general public on weekends from May 2 until June 21. We will resume our full summer schedule, Wednesday through Sunday, beginning June 24 and continuing through Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026. We are closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays.

During our season, the park opens at 9 am and closes at 4:30 pm. A 20-minute guided tour is included with all admissions. Tours are offered every 30 minutes; the first tour departs at 9:15 am and the final tour departs at 2:45 pm. There is no public entry after 2:45 pm. After your tour, you are welcome to stay and collect fossils until the park closes. Basic collecting tools and a souvenir bag are provided to all patrons.

Adults	Adult, Erie County Residents	Seniors (62+)	Military	Students	Children (3-17)	Members
$25	$20	$17	$17	$17	$15	FREE

Each General Admission includes:

A 20-minute tour led by a professional educator
Unlimited fossil collecting at the #1 fossil park in the USA
Use of basic fossil collecting tools (trowel and bucket)
Fossil ID card
Souvenir cloth bags to store fossils
Safety briefing

Purchase General Admission

Full information regarding hours and rates can be found here: https://penndixie.org/hours-and-rates/

New to fossil hunting? Not quite sure what to expect from Penn Dixie? Wondering what to bring? Check out our frequently asked questions page: https://penndixie.org/faq/

Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve is generously supported by Erie County and the Town of Hamburg.

Paul Moretti

March 11, 2026March 11, 2026Penn Dixie

1956 – 2026

With heavy hearts we announce the death of our colleague and friend, Paul Moretti, who passed away on March 7.

Paul began his time with Penn Dixie in 2017 as a volunteer then quickly became involved with leading school field trips and stargazing programs. His role grew to include just about everything; he was most recently involved in guiding our upcoming construction projects.

If you spoke with Paul once then you’d know about his passion for astronomy and science education. We offer our condolences to Paul’s family and friends. He will be missed.

Photo Credits: Construction images, Mark Castner. Astronomy images, Pat Crants. Tour images, Graycliff Conservancy, Explore & More, and Penn Dixie.

Obituary

https://www.lombardofuneralhome.com/obituaries/paul-j-moretti

Town of Hamburg Moment of Silence

https://hamburgny.new.swagit.com/videos/377490

The announcement begins around 1 hour, 20 minutes and 48 seconds.

We’ve Moved

January 30, 2026February 7, 2026Penn Dixie

Hello Fossil Friends! Penn Dixie, has recently relocated from our Gateway Building office to a larger office within the Town of Blasdel. We are excited to unpack all of our boxes — there’s a lot of stuff from nearly two decades at our previous office — and thank you for your patience as we organize our new office over the next few weeks.

Our new mailing address:

Hamburg Natural History Society, Inc.

3218 Lake Shore Rd., Suite 202

Blasdell, NY 14219

Office Closure

December 10, 2025January 13, 2026Penn Dixie

Please note that our office will be closed from December 20 to January 4. If you need to contact us, please use this form and we will get back to you when we return to the office. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Ticket Scam Alert

September 15, 2025September 28, 2025Penn Dixie

It has come to our attention that unaffiliated individuals are attempting to sell Penn Dixie admission “tickets” to residents in the Town of Hamburg. By witness accounts the individuals are under the age of 18, are traveling on foot or bicycle, and the “tickets” are printed marketing materials which we freely give out to promote the park.

Please be advised that Penn Dixie admission is only available for purchase on-site at Penn Dixie, or on our website: penndixie.org. We encourage you to contact local law enforcement if you have been targeted by these individuals.