Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre

Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre

Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre
4.5
Natural History Museums
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10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
We are open May 1, 2023, and remain open daily until October 15, 2023. Book your tour now at https://jogginsfossilcliffs.checkfront.com/reserve/
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  • Singent
    Halifax, Canada813 contributions
    Reconnecting with Nature
    We have been wanting to visit the Joggins Fossil Cliffs for some time now. It’s amazing that we are so fortunate to have this UNESCO World Heritage Site right here in our own province. We drove from Halifax and it took about 2.5 hours to reach the Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre. The centre it self is bright and welcoming with a friendly staff. There was a $5.00 fee to see the displays, which we both felt was a fair price. There is a small, well stocked gift shop on site, a small cafe style restaurant. The washrooms were well thought out and clean. We didn’t sign up for a tour, but we did see a few groups and they appeared to be enjoying their experience with the guide. There are a number of steps to reach the beach, but the effort is well worth it. Just to walk the beach, see the sun reflecting on the water and to feel the fresh air, make this all worthwhile. It was fun to look for fossils and it warmed my heart to see families hunting for interesting rocks, too. I just felt happy and at peace being there.
    Visited July 2022
    Travelled as a couple
    Written July 22, 2022
  • MP0721
    Bridgetown, Canada121 contributions
    Interesting and Fun
    The beach is really cool to visit. It's just covered in rocks with fossil material. We didn't get to see the trees in the side of the cliff bu plan to go back and check out a different section of the beach. If you want to visit the beach, you'll want to make sure you plan your visit with the tides in mind. The centre had more information than I expected. You could certainly spend an hour inside, more if you really want to look closely at everything. At the gift shop I picked up a guide book to the beach for $5 that should help us find points of interest on the beach next time we go.
    Visited July 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written August 1, 2022
  • Ally S
    1 contribution
    Friendly, helpful staff
    A UNESCO World Heritage Site should have great staff and this one does not disappoint. The staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. Be sure and take the beach tour (at least) to help you recognize the kinds of Carboniferous Period fossils you are seeing. The museum will help with that, too, but our guide helped us to spot various kinds of fossils. The beach tour doesn’t give you much time to look around yourself so plan to remain on the beach afterward to put your learning to the test as you look for fossils. And you will find them so long as the tide isn’t up.
    Visited August 2021
    Travelled as a couple
    Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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Vince B
Coldbrook, Canada17 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
Very nice little centre with lots of fossils and history on the bay and the surrounding areas. Also great access to the bay for your fossil search.
Written September 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

francofile104
Nissan-lez-Enserune, France129 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
I was impressed even though I am not knowledgeable about fossils. The displays are well done for us amateurs to get why this is big deal. We couldn't walk on the beach as the tide was too high, but you can view the cliffs from the walkway over the water. Even with the treasure-trove of fossils that have come from this area, imagine how much more was burned up as fuel many years ago!
Written September 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Matthew L
Beaver Bank, N.S.339 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
Amazing spot to walk along the beach and rock hound. Time your arrival with low tide. Nice little gift shop and museum. Beach is free. The museum is a few $.
Written September 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elizabeth W
Toronto, Canada344 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Couples
Wasn't sure what to expect here and boy were we pleasantly surprised! This is a world heritage site with some of the best carboniferous fossils on the planet.

Choose from a self-guided walk to the cliffs and beach (free), a full guided tour or a browse through the excellent gallery. The staff are friendly and helpful and include a resident scientist, who is approachable and eager to help visitors of all ages understand the importance of this spot.

The gallery is beautifully designed and curated to introduce visitors, even kids, to the geology and biology of the cliffs and what they teach us about ancient worlds. Also a nice history of the town and some of the world-famous scientists who have worked there. There is even a kid-sized adventure inside a coal age hollow tree.

The beach itself is stunning. It's a moderately steep climb but if you are there at low tide, you can walk for ages among the rocks and cliffs finding all kinds of fossils. While collecting isn't allowed, it's absolutely stunning. There is a picnic area outside the main building where you can eat lunch and on weekends there is a cafe where you can purchase food.

The gift shop has lots of treasures and it's well worth the side trip.
Written August 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MKJLR
Canada116 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
This is really fun place to explore. We did the 1/2 hour beach tour and then spent some more time just beach combing hunting for interesting things!

Take only pictures, leave only memories. A great spot to visit at low tide.
Written August 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ludwig C
Darien, CT20 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Friends
Joggins is significant for the study of fossils and the history of the Earth. However, if you not well-schooled in paleontology, the experience of sifting through the mostly plant fossils might not be worth the trip. The site itself offers a good view of the sediment strata c.310 million BCE, but it is not that photogenic or dramatic to the unlearned eye.
Written August 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Perthmomma2244
Perth, Canada6 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
Amazing! We had so much fun looking for fossils. And we found so many. A great experience for the kids.
Written August 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Randy H
161 contributions
Jul. 2023
Very nice and interesting place. We did the 90 minute tour which while very informative is a bit long. Definitely worth a stop.
Written July 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nils P
1 contribution
Jul. 2023 • Family
Nice visit. We took a fika in the café, watched the exhibition of some really special fossils. I especially appreciated the connection to research being carried out at this site. Well done exhibition which also sparks ones imagination of how the earth looked like 300 million years ago.

Took a 30 min tour of the fossil beach because the longer tours where sadly not available this day because of the tidal schedules. Enjoyed the tour and walked the beach without guide afterwards north about 3 km to see some still standing 300+ million year old trees among many other fossils.
Written July 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sofia D
Montreal, Canada53 contributions
Sep. 2022
Beautiful place, if you like fossils and nature you can easily spend there the whole day! Kids enjoyed watching the tide too.
Written January 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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JOGGINS FOSSIL CLIFFS CENTRE - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre

Joggins Fossil Cliffs Centre is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.