Petrified Creatures Museum of Natural History

If you're not in a hurry and you want to see New York you can do worse than take US Route 20 across the state.  The road runs from Boston to Newport, Oregon.  In New York it roughly follows along the northern edge of the former Devonian Sea which is also, magically, the northern edge of the Finger Lakes.  The road travels up and down hills and valleys, through quaint small towns and villages, and is quite scenic.

US-20 is especially scenic in Central New York where it runs along what was known as the Third Great Western Turnpike, or Cherry Valley Turnpike.  There's even a few roadside tourist attractions that are still hanging on even though most car traffic long ago shifted to the Thruway.  One of those attractions it the Petrified Creatures Museum of Natural History.

The PCMoNH is in sad shape.  The museum opened some 70 years ago and there are some old educational exhibits and fossils on display.  They are actually quite charming in a "museum stuck in time" sort of way.  They are also only partially sheltered and their exposure to the elements is on display.  There's a sign saying the museum is a registered non-profit and would really like an artist to donate their time to renovating some of the displays. 

The brightly colored, giant fiberglass dinosaurs were in various states of repair/disrepair, the saddest being the collapsed pink triceratops.  The dinos were in much better shape when I visited 5-6 years ago.  Each dinosaur has a mailbox.  Open the mailbox and push a button and the dinosaur speaks to you.  Who knew T-Rex was from Long Island?

Perhaps the best thing about the museum is the fossil beds.  The PCMoNH is where it is because it is near the former shoreline of the Devonian Sea.  There were lots of critters in those shallow waters.  You can get a hammer in the gift shop and smash rocks to your heart's content.

It is rumored that the museum is for sale.

Comments

[janet]

You know, we used to drive past that on my way up to Colgate. And I always wanted to stop, and we never did.

[Joe]

You could have put your geologist's hammer to good use!

[judy]

Now this is quirky roadside america.

[Steve]

Looks like some vandalism going on there. Surely that's not natural decay.

[Joe]

Those aren't natural dinosaurs!

[katherine kennedy]

ok my grandparents own that place you obviously came during the renovation, the place is amazing and small little businesses like this is what keeps america culturally active and alive. shame to you for only putting pictures on the blog of the run-down dinosaurs :(

[Joe]

I can only report on what I experienced. I'm sure it is difficult to run a roadside tourist attraction after most of the traffic has disappeared to the interstate. I wish your grandparents well as they try to fix the place up. When I visited last summer, however it was falling apart and the admission fee was way overpriced for the entertainment offered.

[Michael Petze]

When I was a young boy in the 1970's my family use to visit the petrified creatures whenever we went up to upstate New York. It was one of my favorite places and I still have pictures from those visits. Hopefully this museum can stay up and running and I wish your grandparents good luck. Next summer when I go up there again I want to visit the place for old time's sake. Boy I loved those dinosaurs! Shame to see the pink triceratops in bad shape. He was my favorite!

[kate]

the admission fee was not over priced at all, have you been to the movies lately? i live in southern florida and it cost a lot more then this museum. and do you honestly know how much it costs to run a museum like that? its expensive, the lighting, airconditing and heating, the electricity (for inside and the outdoor exhibits) and there non profit 5O1-C3 coorporation, give the place a break! i personally love this museum (and have loved it since i was a child) and go back every summer when i go up to visit family:) its quirky and cute and towards the end of this summer they had artists and construction workers trying to fix the place up.