Dinosaur State Park

State park · Hartford County

2

@atlasobscura

14 Places to Walk in the Footsteps of Dinosaurs

"The small Connecticut town of Rocky Hill did not really have its own claim to fame until a large amount of dinosaur tracks were discovered in the area by a group of construction workers, and today those very tracks are still perfectly preserved under a futuristic dome.  It was in 1966 that a bulldozer operator accidentally uncovered the field of fossilized dinosaur tracks. Consisting of thousands of smallish, three-toed footprints, the site represents one of the largest collection of dino prints in the United States. The tracks are remarkably preserved with the very pattern of the dinosaur’s (believed to have been a type of Dilophosuarus) skin in the tracks. In order to preserve the precious specimens, a couple of measures were taken. A large geodesic dome was built over a grouping of around 500 of the prints so that visitors could come see them first hand. The dome is also built to act as a museum complete with replica dinos. The remaining 1,500 or so tracks were then reburied so that they might be preserved for future generations. In addition to the dome museum, the rest of the acres of parkland surrounding it act as an arboretum that has set out to plant as much flora that has root in the Mesozoic era as they can. In essence, Dinosaur State Park is not unlike a real life Jurassic Park but instead of cloning dinosaurs, they are simply trying to fill the holes they left with their memories." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/dinosaur-footprints
Brian Sawyer on Wikipedia (Creative Commons)

400 West St, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 Get directions

ctparks.com

2 Postcards

See full details

More Places For You

Carbone's Prime

Italian restaurant · Hartford County

Prime steaks & Italian fare with seasonal cocktails

0 Postcards

Feng Chophouse

Steak house · Hartford

Creative sushi & Southeast Asian cuisine in sleek setting

2 Postcards

Batch One Bakery

Bakery · Cos Cob

Scratch-made artisan baked goods using premium ingredients.

1 Postcard

Table 104

Italian restaurant · Stamford

Artisanal pizzas, pastas, meat & cheese boards, garden patio

1 Postcard

La Isla

Restaurant · New Haven County

Offers Puerto Rican cuisine like empanadas, rice and beans

2 Postcards

Winvian

Hotel · Litchfield County

Unique cottages, spa, and farm-to-table dining experiences

4 Postcards

Fletch’s Bagels & Cafe

Bagel shop · Ridgefield

Delicious bagels, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and pastries.

1 Postcard

Shanghai Garden

Chinese restaurant · New London

Best eggrolls, juicy ribs, flavorful rice, fresh takeout

1 Postcard

Pizza Hut Express

Pizza restaurant · Hartford County

Pizza, wings & pasta delivery, carry-out & dine-in

1 Postcard

Tory Burch

Women's clothing store · Hartford County

Chic women's clothing, shoes, and accessories, designer handbags

1 Postcard