Penn Dixie is located in Hamburg, New York - a relatively short drive from the Chautauqua area. This fossil digging site has an enormous amount of Devonian era fossils. This area was once used by the Penn Dixie cement company, as the Windom shale was used to make cement. 9-10 feet of shale was removed in the 1960's, leaving many fossils exposed.
Visitors to Penn Dixie are welcome to unearth or chip out their own fossils, and may take home everything they find. The site does request that large or rare fossils be photographed.
Cost of Admission:
In 2012, the cost of admission is:
Adults: $7
Children: $6
Infants under the age of 2: Free
Penn Dixie Location:
Penn Dixie's official address is:
4050 North Street
Blasdell, New York 14219
This address does not typically work on a GPS unit. Try using Hamburg as the city location, or simply follow the directions below:
From the Jamestown or Chautauqua area, drive East toward Buffalo on the I-90. Exit at Milestrip Road (toll) and turn right onto Milestrip Road. Turn left at the first traffic light onto South Park Avenue. Take South Park Avenue about a mile and a half and turn right onto Big Tree Road. Cross over the railroad tracks and turn right onto Bristol Road. Take Bristol Road until it ends, and turn left on North Street. The Penn Dixie entrance is straight ahead.
Note that the Penn Dixie site is nestled into a neighborhood - it is not visible from any of the major roads.
What to Bring:
Buckets containing safety glasses, hammers, and chisels are available to rent ($5). The website says to bring garden tools or claws, but we found the most useful item was a small hammer. Stand the rocks up on edge and hit the rock until it splits - the fossils are often buried inside.
Bring a bucket or sturdy bag to carry your fossils. Sunscreen is vital in the summer, as the sun reflects off the rocks. Bring plenty of water for hot days, and eye protection if using a chisel (the rocks splinter and fly when chipping out fossils).
Amenities:
Penn Dixie is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, with over 4,000 feet of paved trails. There are portable toilets available. There are no sinks or drinking fountains.
What Will I Find?
The fossils at Penn Dixie are all marine fossils, as this area of Western NY was submerged by a shallow sea near the equator 380 million years ago. Coral, shells, trilobites, fish scales, sea lilies, and more can be found in the rocks.
Ancient Coral Fossils found at Penn Dixie
