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Oakhurst, CA (October 7, 2022) The Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County is home to 15,000 fossils from the middle Pleistocene, originally unearthed at the Fairmead Landfill beginning in 1993 with the discovery of a Columbian mammoth tusk. The discovery led to paleontological digs of the area where the fossils of Dire Wolfs, Sloths, Saber Tooth Cats, and Short Nosed Bears were also found, making this one of the largest excavation sites from this time period in North America. The Fossil Discovery Center has an excellent, one-of-a-kind program for students in the San Joaquin Valley, including Pre and Post-visit Teacher Packets designed to guide the class through the prehistory and science of their own local area.
This year, the Fossil Discovery Center is hosting the first annual, one-of-a-kind Halloween event, Haunted Night at the Museum, on October 29th from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Enjoy a flashlight tour of the fossils, a candy giveaway, a haunted pond, a costume contest for ages ten and under, and an optional dinner with the Great Pumpkin! Admission is $5 for ages two and up or $3 if in costume.
“We think we are a perfect venue for a ‘haunted’ evening. We are in the country, and our museum has fossil bones hence our phrase: ‘Carnivores, Herbivores, Omnivores, Oh My!!’” says Michele Pecina, Director of the Fossil Discovery Center. “We are excited to have people come out and see us for a fun evening, as many citizens of the area don’t know we are here! We have a great deal to offer as a Fossil Discovery Center to educate the public on Ice Age Fossils, the historic Mammoth Orange, and our in-progress Native American Village.”
The Fossil Discovery Center is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and is located at 19450 21½ Avenue, Chowchilla, CA.
About Visit Yosemite | Madera County
Formed in 1985, Visit Yosemite | Madera County’s mission is to draw the millions of Yosemite National Park visitors to its gateway’s many businesses and attractions. We invite visitors to take a journey from the Fossils Discovery Center to the Madera Wine Trail and onward into the High Sierra. Discover incredible dining, talented tradespersons, four seasons of water sports at Bass Lake, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, and mighty adventures right up to the massive Giant Sequoia trees. Madera County is the gateway to so much more.
