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Dinosaur State Park, Rocky Hill, CT

Photo: Daderot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsFamily FavoriteRainy-Day Pick

Dinosaur State Park

400 West St · Rocky Hill, CT

Why you should go…

Dinosaur State Park protects early Jurassic dinosaur footprints that a bulldozer operator uncovered in 1966 while digging for a state laboratory. Inside the geodesic dome of the Exhibit Center you look down on some 500 tracks, alongside exhibits on dinosaurs, fossils, Connecticut geology and live animals. Outside, more than two miles of trails wind through swamp, forest and meadow, and an arboretum holds more than 250 species of Mesozoic-era plants. Bring your own plaster and you can cast a real footprint.

  • #dinosaur tracks
  • #state park
  • #fossils
  • #nature trails
  • #kids activities

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Dinosaur State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Theatre & Events
    History Buff

    Goodspeed Opera House

    $50+

    See a musical in an 1876 Victorian-style opera house on the bank of the Connecticut River in East Haddam.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Sightseeing
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    Gillette Castle State Park

    Free

    Tour actor William Gillette's fieldstone castle above the Connecticut River and hike the path of his miniature railroad.

    20 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    The Adventure Park at Storrs

    $50+

    Treetop zipline and aerial ropes course with nine trails through the forest canopy near UConn.

    24 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Connecticut River Museum

    Under $25

    A maritime history museum on the Essex, CT waterfront with a working replica of the first combat submarine.

    25 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Yale Peabody Museum

    Free

    See a mounted Brontosaurus, the 110-foot Age of Reptiles mural and galleries on ancient civilizations at Yale's natural history museum.

    27 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Free

    Yale University Art Gallery

    Free

    See van Gogh's The Night Cafe and art from ancient to modern in a free university museum on Chapel Street.

    28 mi awayMore like this