Step into our Dinosaur Coast gallery and meet one of the most important dinosaurs in American history: Hadrosaurus foulkii. This duck-billed herbivore helped shape the field of paleontology when its nearly complete skeleton was first unearthed in 1858, not in the Badlands or the Rockies, but right here in New Jersey. A statue of “Haddy” still stands proudly in Haddonfield, where the discovery was made, but the real story comes alive in our exhibit.

Our Hadrosaurus isn't just a fossil—it's a window into the lives of dinosaurs who cared deeply for their young. Though plant-eaters, hadrosaurs were anything but passive. Fossil evidence from related species suggests they were fierce nest defenders, staying close to their eggs and hatchlings, possibly even feeding and nurturing them in their early days. In a world filled with predators, these dino-parents gave their babies a fighting chance.

Come experience the legacy of Hadrosaurus up close, and discover how a gentle giant from the Late Cretaceous helped put New Jersey on the prehistoric map.