Tag: Penn Dixie

Owl Prowl

Owl Prowl

Penn Dixie

Walk the trails with us and search for owls in action and learn what special adaptations make owls the ideal nocturnal predator! We may encounter barred owls, great horned owls, or screech owls.

The remaining owl prowls for the 2024 season:


Saturday October 12th, 6:30pm-8pm

Saturday October 19th, 6:30pm-8pm

Admission is $10 per participant, and $7 for Penn Dixie members. Registration required, members please contact the office at 716-627-4560 for a registration code.

Please dress in weather-appropriate gear, pack layers, and wear boots. Additionally, we advise that you bring bottled water as we do not have running water on site. There are portable toilets available near the parking lot. In the event of heavy rain or if we detect lightning on site, the program will be cancelled, you will be notified via email and receive a full refund.

Register Here

Cancellation policy: Penn Dixie will not refund payments for cancellations made less than 48 hours prior to the program. Refunds will not be available for registrants who choose not to attend a class/program. If you registered for a program that was canceled by Penn Dixie, you will receive a full refund.

Now Open 7 Days a Week!

Now Open 7 Days a Week!

Penn Dixie

Penn Dixie is open daily from 9 am – 4:30 pm. The first tour departs at 9:15 am; subsequent tours are held every 30 minutes. The final tour is 2:45 pm and the park closes at 4:30 pm. Final entry for non-members is at 2:45 pm. Tickets can be purchased day-of on site, but we recommend booking tickets online if you have a specific tour time that you would like.

The park is open daily from June 12th to September 4th, then return to weekends-only until mid-October. 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.

HNHS Member Meeting 2022

HNHS Member Meeting 2022

Penn Dixie

Learn about what the organization has been up to in 2022 and hear about what we’ll be working on in the year(s) to come! The virtual meeting is Tuesday, December 20th at 7 pm EST via Zoom.

Please register for the meeting using this link: https://forms.gle/qrA2nRDGWmEjPL2dA. Non-members are welcome to join the meeting as well.

We will email participants a Zoom link by 6:30 pm on the 20th. If you do not see an email from us by 6:30 pm, please check your spam folder as our emails occasionally end up there.

Erie County Earth Science Day

Erie County Earth Science Day

Penn Dixie

On Saturday, October 1st, join us from 10 am – 3 pm, rain or shine, to learn about Western New York’s natural history, ecology, and resources through interactive exhibits and demonstrations in a family-friendly setting. Experience hands-on learning under the big tent!

2022’s special guests include:

There will also be a special Memory Quest activity on Earth Science Day! Teams of two or more must search around the park to answer questions and collect tokens to solve a puzzle. A keen ear and a sharp memory will help your team to the grand prize!

Thanks to the generous support of Erie County and the Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists, Earth Science Day is FREE to ALL – no registration or tickets are required. All ages are welcome. This event is accessible to those with mobility impairments and we recommend the use of a reach tool for fossil collecting.

2016 Earth Science Day 4
Our famous fossil hunting is FREE on Earth Science Day!

Complimentary fossil collecting trowels will be available to all guests during the event.

Teachers: Please contact us in advance to schedule your group. There is no charge for unguided group tours on Earth Science Day but we request advance notice to help with our parking planning. Guided group tours are available at our usual rates.

This FREE event is made possible by Erie County and the Town of Hamburg. Donations are welcome through the day of the event and will support Penn Dixie’s community education efforts.

Free Admission on October 10th!

Free Admission on October 10th!

Penn Dixie

In recognition of Indigenous People’s Day, we are offering free admission on Monday, October 10th! The park opens 9 am and closes at 4:30 pm, final entry is at 2:45 pm. The first tour of the day departs at 9:15 am, with tours running every 30 minutes until the final tour at 2:45 pm.

We provide complimentary buckets and trowels to use while fossil hunting, as well as small bags to bring your fossils home in. Many of our visitors solely use a bucket and trowel if they’re planning to surface collect. We have a limited number of tool rentals available for $5 per set. Tools are rented on a first come, first served basis. Each set includes a small sledge hammer, a geologist’s hammer, chisel, safety goggles, knee pad, and bucket.

Registration is not required, but if you would like to guarantee a specific tour time, you can pre-register online.

Pre-Register Here