Connecticut: Exploring Dino-Mite Sites Across the State. 
Take your courageous little explorers on the ultimate dinosaur-tracking trip. Sites throughout Connecticut offer a gargantuan glimpse into the lives of these colossal creatures. For the best places to explore the prehistoric past in Connecticut check out our mini-roundup, and head out!
Peabody Museum of Natural History. In 1866, philanthropist George Peabody was convinced by his nephew, O.C. Marsh, the first professor of paleontology in North America, to begin the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven. Today, it is home to one of the world’s top paleontology collections and features a juvenile Apatosaurus skeleton and a fossil of an Archelon, the largest known turtle species. Visitors can see giant dinosaur fossils, primate skeletons, Native American artifacts in the Hall of Native American Cultures, and Egyptian mummies and daily life in Ancient Egypt. Other exhibits include Connecticut geology, birds of Connecticut, Fossil Fragments: The Riddle of Human Origins, Hall of Minerals, Earth and Space, and the 11 windows of biodiversity that are Peabody’s dioramas. Not-to-be-Missed: In the month of February the Peabody celebrates dinosaurs and paleontology with Dinosaur Days. From February 15 through February 20, from 10AM until 3:30PM daily, there will be lots of hands-on family activities, including a fossil dig, an extensive fossil touch table and dinosaur arts & crafts. Additionally, this year during Dinosaur Days, the Leitner Family Planetarium, located just two blocks from the Peabody is offering free planetarium shows Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3PM to 4PM. Bonus Point: Admission is free on Thursdays from 2PM-5PM from September through June. Out of Pocket: Adult tickets are $7; tickets for children between the ages of 3 and 18 are $5. Location on the Planet: 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. 1(203) 432-5050 or www.Peabody.Yale.edu
Dinosaur State Park. Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill houses one of the largest collections of preserved Jurassic tracks on the continent. Kids will love seeing the 500 authentic sandstone dinosaur tracks and making their own plaster cast of a Eubrontes footprint. Families can make a day of it with the park’s picnic area, and exploring the more than two miles of nature trails and the Dinosaur State Park Arboretum, containing more than 250 species of wildlife from the dinosaur ages. Other great must-sees include Jurassic-period dinosaur tracks (200 million years old), a diorama depicting the setting in which the park’s tracks were made, diorama of the Connecticut Valley in the late Triassic. Bonus Points:
On weekends and during school vacations, films are shown in the park’s auditorium. “Dinosaur” is screened at 10AM, 2PM and 3:30PM, “Step into the Early Jurassic” is screened at 10:30AM, 1:30PM and 3PM. Films screened at 12PM changed depending on the day of the week – see the website for the schedule. On weekends there are guided trail walks. Need to Know: The exhibit is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 9AM to 4:30PM, closed Mondays. It is wheel-chair accessible. Out of Pocket: Adult tickets are $10, tickets for children between the ages of 6-12 are $4 and children 5 and under are admitted free. Location on the Earth: 400 West St. Rocky Hill. 1(860) 529-8423, www.dinosaurstatepark.org
The Dinosaur Place. Visit The Dinosaur Place for an adventure of prehistoric proportions. Monty, the massive teenage T-Rex, greets visitors to The Dinosaur Place in Montville. Outdoor adventure awaits families with a day of educational exploration and discovery on 50 acres of pristine woodlands. The park offers simple walking trails that lead past 25 life-size concrete and steel dinosaurs. See the creatures that roamed the state up to 230 years ago on the Connecticut Trail, or veer toward Raptor Bay to see a 12-foot tall, 36-foot long Suchomimus – a much larger version of today’s crocodile. Children of all ages enjoy digging for gems and crystals in Jackpot Mine, rolling up their sleeves to pan for “gold” in Thunder Creek and excavating a dinosaur skeleton in the Bone Zone. Every participant brings home a fabulous souvenir of each activity. Bonus Point: In the summer families can cool off at Monty’s SPLASHPAD, a fully automated, interactive play system redefines the term “aquatic play.” The SPLASHPAD is zero-depth and consists of over 30 dynamic dinosaur-themed features designed to stimulate, challenge and cool off children and adults of all ages. Out of Pocket: Outdoor admission starts at $10 ($7 for those 60+), indoor activities are priced individually. Location on the Planet: 1650 Hartford-New London Tpke. (Rte. 85), Montville. 1(860) 443-4367 or www.thedinosaurplace.com
Complied for Travel Communications, Inc. Content courtesy of CTVisit, and images courtesy of the the Dinosaur Place and Dinosaur State Park via CTVisit. Copyright 2010.
