AURORA FOSSIL MUSEUM

One of the more popular features of the Aurora Fossil Museum is being able to dig for your own fossils in the “Pits of the Pungo.”

Want to step way back in time and learn about paleontology?

How about digging for your own fossils in what is affectionately dubbed “The Pits of the Pungo?”

Look no further than the Aurora Fossil Museum, located at 400 Main St.

The museum, founded in 1976 and opened in 1978, is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) science education resource center. Its mission is to increase knowledge of the geology, paleontology and prehistory of coastal North Carolina in an engaging and enjoyable manner.

The museum asscomplishes this through exhibits, interactive inquiry-based activities, outreach programs, events, field studies and involvement in the annual Fossil Festival held on Memorial Day weekend. Story and Photos by Jim Green

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“A lot of museums are founded based on a local unique characteristic, said Cynthia Crane, executive director of the museum.

The Aurora Fossil Museum is no exception.

The main museum houses a wide variety of Miocene and Pliocene marine fossils with most displays showcasing specimens collected from the neighboring Nutrien Phosphate Mine (formerly known as Texas Gulf Sulfur, PCS Phospate, PotashCorp. Features in the shark hall are remnants of the terror of the MiocenePliocene seas, C. meegalodon.

“When they were mining for phosphate and extracting it, they discovered fossils and it ended up being a premier location for Miocene and Pliocene marine fossils,” said Crane, herself a paleontologist and geologist. “As an economic idea, they founded the museum to being people to Aurora.”

The town partnered with East Carolina University, Texas Gulf, NC Phosphate Company and others in getting this started,” she added.

The Learning Center across from the museum houses a world class collection of gems and minerals as well as a fluorescent mineral room. There is also a collection of fossils from around the world including Cambrian trilobites and the remnants of the Ice Age Mastodon.

After spending time learning, guests can dig for their own fossils in the Fossil Park.

These pits, consisting of fossiliferous material donated by the neighboring Nutrien Phosphate plant, offer visitors the opportunity to search and discover their own Miocene age fossils.

In these pits, one may discover the remains of ancient sharks, whales, bony fish and coral,

just to name a few.

“This is material that went through the process of phosphate extraction, so it’s material they don’t need,” Crane said. “They donate it to the museum for our visitors to sift through and take home a piece of Aurora with them.”

The Aurora Fossil Museum is one of only two museums in the United States that has a fossil dig directly associated with a museum that houses a collection of those fossils, Crane said. The other one, located in Michigan, is now closed.

“People come from all over the United States and the world to visit Aurora and the museum,” she added.

Since Crane took over directorship of the museum five years ago, it has increased visitorship from around 14,000 a year to 20,000 during this past fiscal year. They also hold a calendar year campaign where a visitor from every state receives an ornament with the logo on it.

By June of this year, someone from all 50 states had visited the museum.

The museum has also actively increased its social media presence on Instagram (Aurora Fossil Museum), Twitter (AuroraFossilmus) and Facebook (Aurora.Fossil.Museum).

The museum opened in 1978 with marine life and native American rooms. Over the past few decades, a mine room, shark room, gift shop, learning center and the park have been added.

“As the years have rolled on, it has expanded to become three corners of a crossroads on Main Street in Aurora, Crane said.

The megalodon shark teeth exhibits are popular, as it’s the state fossil of North Carolina, she said.

The nonprofit organization encourages and accepts donations and is working on a strategic plan for future expansion.

“We have goals for our future, which will be exciting to increase our services and what we offer,” Crane said. “We plan on more fundraisers and want to keep this museum admission free.”

“It’s a unique experience which brings out the kid in everybody,” she added.

Hours of operation are 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Check the social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for updates regarding schedule changes.

For more information, call 252- 322-4238 or send an email to info@ aurorafossilmuseum.org.

One of the artifacts on display at the museum.

Top: The Layers Under Foot display shows layers of sediment created by the rise and fall of sea levels millions of years ago when North Carolina was comprised of a rocky coastline.

A young visitor to the museum digs for his own fossils. (inset) 55