Join us on Saturday June 13 and Sunday June 14 for our signature fossil dig — Dig With the Experts! Expert volunteers — including scientists, leading fossil collectors, and experts on local geology — will lead the dig through material from a freshly excavated section of the Lower Windom Shale and will demonstrate how to find Devonian Period trilobites, cephalopods, fish remains, brachiopods, corals, wood, and a range of other marine invertebrates. Thanks to our experts — all volunteer collectors and paleontologists who travel to Penn Dixie to share their time and knowledge — we are celebrating our 21st dig in 2026!
Dig With the Experts is our very popular, once yearly opportunity to unearth the best, most complete, and most unexpected fossils at Penn Dixie! We’ll have equipment do the heavy lifting and scientific experts on site to help with locating and identifying the best fossils. You’ll have to do your share of splitting and digging, of course, but you’re guaranteed to find something cool and interesting.
2026 Ticket Prices
- Saturday June 13 – Members: $110, Non-members: $125
- Sunday June 14 – Members: $75, Non-members: $90
- Weekend Pass – Members: $155, Non-members: $180
Use the links above or click “Book Now” in the bottom right of the screen to buy tickets. Note that our ticketing software charges a 4% fee.
Ticketing Notes: Tickets are electronic and will not be mailed. Tickets go on sale on Feb. 17th for Penn Dixie members and Feb. 19th for non-members. Members will need to request a discount code to receive member-pricing. Penn Dixie members can request a member discount code here, or on our “Members Guide” webpage. Sign up for our eNews to receive the latest updates and be the first to know about event updates!
We anticipate that Penn Dixie will be open exclusively to our members and Dig With the Experts guests from 9 am to 4 pm on Monday, June 15. The park will have minimal staffing; tours, tools, and the gift shop will be unavailable. Save your wristband for entry on Monday.
Safety: This program is not recommended for children under age 12. All participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a registered adult at all times during the dig.
The incredible Eldredgeops rana trilobites shown above were unearthed by Donna Foster at our 2025 Dig With the Experts! Mike Meacher of Stormbed Paleontological prepared the specimens (photo with blue glove) and the photos were shared by Penn Dixie member Deb Keenan who attended the dig with her friend, Donna.
Things To Know: What can you expect at Dig With the Experts? Fossil enthusiasts from across North America — plus the occasional overseas traveler — will gather in Hamburg, New York for our biggest weekend of the year. The Town of Hamburg welcomes you with a range hotel and dining options. Our guests typically report good experiences in hotels such as Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Hampton Inn, while budget options tend to provide mixed reviews. Some guests stay in other parts of the greater Buffalo-Niagara area. Camping is available at Evangola State Park which is located along the Lake Erie shore approximately 20 miles from Penn Dixie. There are many dining options in the area, including waterfront restaurants, and attire is generally casual — though you may want to change your boots before going out! The distance from Hamburg’s hotel district to Penn Dixie is about 2.5 miles and traffic is typically light. Unfortunately we do not allow camping at Penn Dixie.
The dig commences at 9 am on both days. In recent years, 200+ fossil hunters have joined our Saturday dig and 150+ fossil hunters have joined our Sunday dig. In addition to our regular staff who are on hand to help, we are grateful for the participation of 15-20 expert volunteers each year. The dig is spread out over a broad area — Penn Dixie has 54 acres — and features large piles of newly excavated shale blocks. As a participant you’ll spend your time splitting rocks in search of various fossils, and our experts and staff will help you perfect your technique so you have the best chance of finding complete specimens.
Additional Notes: This program will sell out — reserve in advance to guarantee a spot. We do not recommend that children under age 12 attend this program due to the technical and safety requirements of splitting rocks. Dig With the Experts serves many roles: a great opportunity to collect fossils & socialize with our friends in fossil collecting community; a fundraiser for Penn Dixie; and a way for Penn Dixie to keep the quarry ‘fresh’ by excavating new material each season.
During Dig With the Experts, other areas of Penn Dixie will be open to fossil collectors of all ages and abilities, and regular tours are available. Guests are welcome to bring their own food and beverages, as well as a small cart to transport personal items and specimens. Chairs, tents, and umbrellas are welcome as long as they are secured against wind gusts. Bring kneepads, a steel-handled 3-lb sledgehammer, geologist’s hammer, chisel, safety glasses, newspaper, and paper towels to wrap your fossils. Extra water is recommended, plus bring rain gear just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. We strongly recommend wearing waterproof boots or sneakers that can get dirty. See our Frequent Questions page for more info about visiting Penn Dixie. Check out our instructional video for tips on how to split our famous Smoke Creek Shale layer, and take a look back at our Visual Guide for the 2026 Dig.
The dig draws collectors from around the globe for this unique opportunity which was developed by volunteer experts from the Cincinnati Dry Dredgers. If you’d like an aerial tour of Dig With the Experts 2024, check out the drone footage below! Video and footage courtesy of Linas Muliolis.