On Oct. 9, Mantua Township and Rowan University celebrated the groundbreaking of what will be New Jersey’s largest public net zero emissions building. Ennead Architects (Design Architect) together with KSS Architects (Architect of Record) officially unveiled designs for the highly-anticipated Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park Museum of Rowan University, located in Mantua Township.
Galleries filled with dinosaur skeletons and life-size replicas. A cove crawling with land and sea creatures. A sprawling veranda overlooking a dinosaur park where visitors can dig for fossils, and a journey into a virtual reality world of the Cretaceous era, complete with heat, wind, and vibrations. World-class paleo-themed playground, deluxe retail space and cafe are just a few highlights of this one-of-a-kind museum.
Shovels went into the dirt Saturday, Oct. 9 to formally launch construction of Rowan University’s Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park Museum, a long-awaited, $73 million project that school officials and business leaders say will make Gloucester County a world-class destination for students and tourists.
The 44,000-square-foot museum in Mantua will overlook the 65-acre Edelman Fossil Park, a quarry that is a trove of vertebrae, teeth, and other remnants of prehistoric creatures that once swam through the sea where South Jersey’s land is now.
“South Jersey, and the university, will be transformed forever,” said Ken Lacovara, dean of Rowan’s school of the earth and environment and director of the park, speaking to volunteers, local leaders, and representatives of Rowan who gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking.
