MANTUA TOWNSHIP, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Construction has begun on a one-of-a-kind fossil park and museum in Mantua Township.
Rowan University recently broke ground on the $73 million project. Once it's completed in 2023, visitors will get a glimpse into the last moments of the dinosaur world.
"You know, I like to say the fossil park is more about the future than it is the past," said Dr. Ken Lacovara, dean of Rowan's School of Earth and Environment and director of the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park and Museum.
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Lacovara said lessons from that era teach visitors about our changing climate and environment.
"When they make that connection between themselves and the ancient past and the place where they live and the history of our planet, it's really amazing," he said.
The site will feature a paleontology playground, walking trails and much more.
"Then of course, there will be the quarry dig experience. We have areas where the public will be able to dig when we're open, and everybody that goes to the site that's not afraid to get their hands dirty will find a 66 million-year-old fossil with their own hands that they get to take home," he said.
Lacovara said they expect about 200,000 visitors to the park every year, which could pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy over the next 10 years.