Hadrosaurus foulkii: Unearthing the Fossil Site & Sculpture
Did you know that the Hadrosaurus foulkii is the state dinosaur of New Jersey? Read on to learn more about it and how Haddonfield celebrates this dinosaur. 
Hadrosaurus bronze sculpture and historical marker
What is a Hadrosaurus?
The Hadrosaurus is a bipedal dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. It was an herbivore and its name means “bulky lizard.” It is an ornithopod from the family of hadrosaurs. Hadrosaurs are duck-billed dinosaurs with over a thousand teeth in their mouth to help them grind vegetation. Other popular hadrosaurs include the crested Lambeosaurs, such as Parasauralophus, and the saurolophine Maiasaura. The Hadrosaurus was a part of the Hadrosaurines that did not have hollow cranial crests.
What is the Hadrosaurus foulkii?
This is the only species in the Hadrosaurus genus. It was discovered in present-day Haddonfield. Some bones were first unearthed in a marl pit in 1838 by Mr. John Estaugh Hopkins. After he displayed them in his home, they piqued the interest of William Parker Foulke. Foulke worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences. He excavated the rest of the bones at the site in 1856 (hence the name Hadrosaurus foulkii) along with Joseph Leidy. This site is now a historic landmark known as the Hadrosaurus Foulkii Leidy Site. Many know it as Hadrosaurus Park. The rock formation from which the bones were collected was about 80 million years old.
The Hadrosaurus foulkii skeleton discovered in Haddonfield was purported to have been 25 feet long and 10 feet tall at the hips (about the height of a basketball hoop).
Find the site!
Why is this dinosaur skeleton so significant in the world of paleontology?
This was the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton that had been unearthed in the United States.
Where are the bones now?
The bones were sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The dinosaur was named and the bones were displayed by Dr. Joseph Leidy in 1868. The original bones can be seen at the Academy of Natural Sciences.
Where are other places that you can see a Hadrosaurus?
There is a replica of the Hadrosaurus at the NJ State Museum. At the American Museum of Natural History in New York we were able to see casts of the Hadrosaurus skeleton. We also have seen a life-size depiction of a Hadrosaurus at Field Station: Dinosaurs.
American Museum of Natural History in NYC
Field Station: Dinosaurs in Leonia, NJ
How did the historical marker get placed at the site?
The historical marker at the site was an Eagle Scout project by Christopher Brees in 1984.
Who proposed that the Hadrosaurus foulkii become the state dinosaur for New Jersey?
This was due to Joyce Berry and her fourth grade class at Strawbridge Elementary School in 1991.
Who built the Hadrosaurus sculpture?
It was built by John Giannotti over ten months in his barn. Over five hundred school kids also placed a small piece of clay on the sculpture. It is located in downtown Haddonfield and affectionately known as Haddy.
Where are the historical marker and sculpture located?
See this map below. I made a Hadrosaurus foulkii trail with fun places to visit related to the Hadrosaurus.
What happened during the 2024 Happy Birthday, Haddy celebration?
We just attended this fun event that was scattered throughout Haddonfield. The celebration was a commemoration of the 21st Anniversary of the Bronze Sculpture as well as the 40th Anniversary of the Historical Marker. In one part of the street there was a DJ, balloons and a library book bike. The kids were excited to receive Hadrosaurus bookmarks and buttons. After this we headed to King’s Court. There was a large dog parade with plenty of prehistoric costumes.
We continued past shops and restaurants advertising different things to celebrate Haddy. The Meraki Market advertised DIY Dino Terrariums. We headed into Downtown Cookies where the kids got dinosaur tattoos, dinosaur eggs to hatch and dinosaurs complete with an adoption certificate.
Afterwards we headed to the Hadrosaurus sculpture. Toddlers were enjoying “feeding Haddy” by throwing coins in the water. Our kids were able to pet a baby dinosaur and get close to Dolly the Dinosaur. We were excited to hear about the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum that will be opening in South Jersey soon. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Haddy and then partook in some tasty cupcakes from Sweet T’s Bakery. It was a fun-filled evening. We did a stop on our way home at the National Historic Landmark site. Meanwhile the event continued with an outdoor showing of Jurassic Park.
Prehistoric Dog Parade in King’s Court
Downtown Cookies Haddonfield Celebration
Thirsty for the refreshing taste of Gatorade
Is there a video of the event?
Yes! It is here: Happy Birthday, Haddy!
What are easy ways to teach my kids about the Hadrosaurus?
I created this worksheet set in my store for kids to learn about which dinosaurs were alive in the late Cretaceous period. Purchase this and have your kids match the dinosaur name to their picture. This will also help them distinguish between different hadrosaurs.
Another way to learn about Hadrosaurs is to watch the Hootin’ Hadrosaurs episode of Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids.
Visit fun places mentioned I above such as Haddonfield, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the New Jersey State Museum and Field Station: Dinosaurs. Head to the Bucks County Children’s Museum to see their Dinosaur section. Teach younger kids about the Hadrosaurus when you are teaching them the letter H.
Dinosaurs from A to Z
The Big Dig at the Bucks County Children’s Museum
Happy dinosaur hunting!