This South Jersey gem has historic homes and a modern main street but what many don’t know is back in 1858, the bones of a complete dinosaur were found here. The Hadrosaurus Foulkii skeleton is on display at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the discovery site on Maple Avenue in Haddonfield is a national historic landmark.
Hadrosaurus Run, a small stream, runs through a deep ravine and the sticky banks contain everything from shark teeth to fossilized remains. After a storm, children can actually dig and find nature’s treasures left behind or use the Geocaching app to hunt for treasures left by other travelers. Don’t forget to bring your toy dinosaurs—or buy them at the well-known Haddonfield toy store, Happy Hippo. Children leave them on the bench and a small society of residents, mainly other children, maintain the small dinosaurs at the site so they “move” around.
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Crow’s Woods Hiking Trail in Crow’s Woods Nature Preserve is 1.5 miles of hill, swamps, woods and creek at the very end of South Atlantic Avenue. The trails are dog and stroller-friendly. Once you make you way back to civilization, look for the Hadrosaurus statue, part of the Children’s Sculpture Zoo on Kings Highway. The zoo contains multiple animals and the sculptures are often for sale.
Definitely save time for lunch or dinner. Crust n’ Fire is wonderful for pizza and hamburgers, in addition to Pizza Crime and Nocella’s, both offering pizza and Italian foods for take-out. If you’re in the mood for Thai, Sanook is a popular spot and be sure to try the Drunken Noodles. For authentic Mexican food with great ambiance, try El Nopalito. And if you want fancier fare, Mare Monte and Valente’s Cucina are delicious. Groovy Smoovies combines smoothies with classic movies. The owners purchase produce from local farms and retro films are always playing.
