The Big Dig in Dinosaur Hall
Do you want to hunt for dinosaur bones? You can at The Big Dig, which is located on the Mezzanine in Dinosaur Hall.
Dinosaur hunters can search for fossils in a replica of the New Mexico Badlands. This dig dates to the Late Cretaceous (near the end of the Age of Dinosaurs).
After you have donned your protective goggles and grabbed your chisel and brush, you'll be ready to dig. But be warned, you need to be patient to dig for dinosaurs. Just ask any paleontologist! Luckily, working at The Big Dig isn't as dirty as it is in the some of the outdoor digs visited by Academy scientists.
So far, dinosaur hunters at The Big Dig have found parts of the following dinosaurs:
- Edmontosaurus
- This is a hadrosaur or duckbill dinosaur. You can see the skeleton of another hadrosaur, Corythosaurus, on the main floor of Dinosaur Hall.
- Struthiomimus
- This is an ostrich-mimic dinosaur. Like Tyrannosaurus or Deinonychus, it's a meat eater that walks on its hind legs. It looks different from them because it has legs, arms, tail and neck that are long and thin. It also has a small head. (Dinosaur Hall doesn't have a skeleton of this dinosaur, yet.)
- Triceratops
- This is a ceratopsian or horned dinosaur. There's a skull of Triceratops by the windows on the Mezzanine. There are skeletons of two different relatives of Triceratops on the Main Floor. They are Avaceratops and Chasmosaurus.
- Tyrannosaurus
- Oh! You must know about this dinosaur!
When you're done here, you may want to check out the Fossil Prep Lab, which is located in the back of Main Floor in Dinosaur Hall (behind the stairway). There you can see how fossils are prepared after they are removed from the ground.
The Big Dig is a popular destination for school field trips and other groups. If your group wants to visit The Big Dig, you'll have to make a reservation. (A group has 10 or more people). See Group Visits or call 215.299.1060 for more information.
If you're a family or individual and come to The Big Dig only to find it being used by a group, don't worry. We can usually find a place for you.