New dinosaur fossil attraction debuts at Colchester Beach

New dinosaur fossil attraction debuts at Colchester Beach. July 2026. (Source: Town of Essex)

A new prehistoric attraction has arrived at Colchester Beach.

The Town of Essex has launched a free Dino Dig Adventure at Colchester Beach, giving aspiring young paleontologists and their families the chance to uncover a buried dinosaur fossil in the sand.

Mayor Sherry Bondy says the idea came from the parks and recreation department as a way to encourage more people to get outside and enjoy the community’s waterfront amenities.

“It’s such a cool thing to do. We want people to go down to the beach and do low cost things,” Bondy said.

“Bring your bucket, bring your shovel and just make a fun day of it. The splash pad is up there on the corner. There is a lot of things to do, with the park, the splash pad, the beach.”

Bondy says a sign at the site explains how to carefully uncover the fossil and preserve it for future visitors.

“Just dig with your hands and uncover it. Be careful about it. We don’t want to hurt it,” she said.

“Don’t bang it with any tools or don’t try to dig it out completely. And then when you’re done, if you could cover it up, that would be even better because then the next person actually has to look for it.”

Bondy says town staff will monitor the site throughout the summer.

“There’s staff at the harbour. It’s not in a place where it’s going to get ran over by our beach grooming tractor. It is in a pretty safe place,” she said.

“We’re making sure that we have eyes on it, there is signage on it, and if anybody ever sees any damage, let us know.”

Bondy says the attraction is expected to stay at Colchester Beach all summer, with the possibility of adding more in the future.