Although it may be cold outside, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that the Friends of Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill will sponsor a series of indoor programs for families during December’s school vacation week.
The museum is closed Sunday, December 25 – Wednesday, December 28.
The series includes:
The series includes:
Thursday, December 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Live Birds of Prey show by Massachusetts Birds of Prey
Tickets are available with admission on a first-come, first-served basis at 9:00 a.m. on the day of show. Seating is limited to 100 visitors. This special program is made possible through the sponsorship of the Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum (FDPA) and concludes the year-long celebration of 50 years of Discovery at Dinosaur State Park.
Thursday, December 29, Friday, December 30, and Saturday, December 31
Naturalist programs 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Naturalist programs 11:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Park staff will present a “Track Talk” or an Animal Demonstration
Crafts 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Visitors will be able to make a craft to take home (free with admission)
Films 10:00, 10:30, noon, 1:30, 2:00, 3:00 and 3:30 (film schedule will be adjusted on the 29th to accommodate special live bird program).
Crafts 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Visitors will be able to make a craft to take home (free with admission)
Films 10:00, 10:30, noon, 1:30, 2:00, 3:00 and 3:30 (film schedule will be adjusted on the 29th to accommodate special live bird program).
New Park Hours for 2017
Park hours will be changing in 2017. The Museum will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday only during the winter months of January –March. The hours of the museum are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm.
The park’s trails will be open Tuesday – Saturday from 9:00 to 4 p.m. There will be no public access to park grounds on Sunday or Monday. The Park will resume a Tuesday – Sunday schedule beginning April 1, 2017. The park will remain closed to visitors on Mondays until further notice.
Background on Dinosaur State Park
Dinosaur State Park is open all year, has over 500 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints on display. The tracks are called Eubrontes and are the Connecticut state fossil. They were most likely left behind by a carnivorous dinosaur similar to Dilophosaurus. The tracks were discovered in August of 1966 when a bulldozer operator named Ed McCarthy was excavating the basement for a state office building. Within 3 weeks of the discovery the site was designated a state park and the office building had to be moved to a new location.
Dinosaur State Park is open all year, has over 500 early Jurassic dinosaur footprints on display. The tracks are called Eubrontes and are the Connecticut state fossil. They were most likely left behind by a carnivorous dinosaur similar to Dilophosaurus. The tracks were discovered in August of 1966 when a bulldozer operator named Ed McCarthy was excavating the basement for a state office building. Within 3 weeks of the discovery the site was designated a state park and the office building had to be moved to a new location.
Along with a series of related exhibits, there is a 100-seat theater, a Discovery room, a bookstore that features many unique titles, toys and jewelry and 2 ½ miles of hiking trails.
The Discovery Room includes a Connecticut Rock and Mineral display, an interactive geologic map, dozens of pull & learn drawers with hundreds of fossil, rock and mineral specimens, a skull display, a bird sound station and more.
The park is located 1 mile east of I-91, off Exit 23 at 400 West Street, Rocky Hill. The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The 2 ½ mile trail system and bookstore close at 4:00 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and the park will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day. There is a $6 admission fee for ages 13 and up, $2 for youth 6-12 and children 5 and under are free.
The park is located 1 mile east of I-91, off Exit 23 at 400 West Street, Rocky Hill. The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The 2 ½ mile trail system and bookstore close at 4:00 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and the park will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day. There is a $6 admission fee for ages 13 and up, $2 for youth 6-12 and children 5 and under are free.
For more information about the park contact Meg Enkler at (860) 529-5816 or Margaret.enkler@ct.gov or visit www.ct.gov/deep/dinosaurstatepark or www.dinosaurstatepark.org.
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