Rocks and Dinos!

November 1, 2009 — July 2010

This exhibit displays rocks, fossils, and paintings by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins that shows what the state of New Jersey was like during the time of dinosaurs. Several of the animals and fossils on display had a direct connection to New Jersey.

For this exhibition Morven has conserved natural history paintings commissioned by Princeton University in the 1870s, including paintings of New Jersey’s state dinosaur. This exhibit also displays fluorescent rocks from a rare geological vein in New Jersey and fossils excavated from the Princeton Battlefield and Princeton University Library, loaned by the New Jersey State Museum and Sterling Hill Mining Museum. The exhibit emphasizes interactive components for children, including “Please Touch!” fossils, kiosks with push-button questions loaned from the Academy of Natural Sciences, and videos.