Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum
Name	Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum
Location	Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Coordinates	41, 39, 15, N...
Area	80 acres
Established	1968
Governing body	Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum is a unique state park and natural history preserve located in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. It is renowned for its exceptional in-situ display of early Jurassic-period dinosaur tracks, discovered in 1966 during excavation for a state building. Managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the park combines paleontological preservation with a significant arboretum dedicated to gymnosperms, offering extensive educational programs within its 80-acre grounds.

History and discovery

The site's discovery on August 23, 1966, by Edward McCarthy, a bulldozer operator working for the W. J. Barney Corporation, was a landmark event in New England paleontology. The excavation for a new Connecticut State Highway Department facility unearthed a vast sandstone slab bearing hundreds of fossilized footprints. Geologists from the University of Connecticut and the Yale Peabody Museum were quickly consulted, leading to the identification of the tracks as belonging to a dilophosaurus-like theropod. Public outcry and advocacy, supported by figures like Richard S. Lull of Yale University, halted construction. The Connecticut General Assembly subsequently authorized the creation of the park, which was formally dedicated in 1968, with the iconic geodesic dome exhibit center opening in 1976 to protect the primary trackway.

Exhibits and features

The centerpiece of the park is the massive exhibit center, a 55,000-square-foot structure housing over 500 of the original dinosaur tracks under a climate-controlled dome. Key exhibits include detailed dioramas of the early Jurassic Hartford Basin, fossil casts of dinosaurs like dilophosaurus and coelophysis, and an interactive discovery room. The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History collaborates on rotating exhibits. Other features include a casting pit where visitors can make plaster casts of actual track reproductions, a gift shop operated by the Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum, and extensive murals depicting the Mesozoic ecosystems of the Connecticut River Valley.

Dinosaur tracks

The tracks are preserved in the Portland Formation of the Newark Supergroup, dating to approximately 200 million years ago during the Early Jurassic. They are classified as Eubrontes, a ichnogenus name for large three-toed prints attributed to carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. The slab reveals evidence of herd behavior, with trackways indicating multiple individuals moving in the same direction across a muddy shoreline of a vast prehistoric lake. The preservation quality is exceptional, showing details of skin impressions and mud displacement, making the site a type locality for studying vertebrate paleontology in the Eastern United States. The site is recognized as a National Natural Landmark.

Arboretum and grounds

Beyond the trackway, the park encompasses an officially designated arboretum specializing in living descendants of Mesozoic flora, particularly conifers and other gymnosperms. The collection includes over 250 species and cultivars, such as metasequoia, ginkgo, and various cycads. Two miles of trails wind through these plantings and natural areas, including the Swamp Trail and the Ornamental Grass Garden. The grounds also feature a picnic area, the Trackway Trail with additional exposed footprints, and habitats managed for local wildlife, connecting to the broader Rocky Hill ecosystem.

Educational programs

The park operates a robust educational program under the auspices of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's State Parks Division. Offerings include guided tours, school field trips aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, and popular summer day camps. Specialized workshops on topics like fossil casting, geology of the Connecticut Valley, and botany are regularly held. The park also hosts annual events like the Connecticut Fossil Day in collaboration with the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and participates in national celebrations like National Fossil Day.

Visitor information

The park is located off West Street in Rocky Hill, with easy access from Interstate 91 and the Wilbur Cross Parkway. It is open seasonally from Wednesday through Sunday, with specific hours for the exhibit center and trails. Admission fees are charged for the exhibit center, while access to the arboretum and trail system is typically free. The facility is available for private events and functions as a venue for lectures and meetings hosted by organizations like the Friends of Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum and the New England Botanical Club.

Category:State parks of Connecticut Category:Arboreta in Connecticut Category:Natural history museums in Connecticut Category:Protected areas of Hartford County, Connecticut Category:National Natural Landmarks in Connecticut Category:Rocky Hill, Connecticut Category:1968 establishments in Connecticut