08/02/2026
C**n Creek Science Center in Adamsville sits on what used to be the floor of an ancient sea, and visitors are allowed to dig up fossils themselves and take them home.
The creek bed exposes sediment from the Late Cretaceous period, about 76 million years ago, when a shallow sea called the Western Interior Seaway covered much of central North America. Tennessee sat along its eastern edge. Scientists have identified more than 600 species of invertebrate fossils here, and new specimens surface naturally after every rain, eroding right out of the creek banks.
What you might find includes ammonites, which are coiled relatives of modern nautiluses, along with oysters, turritella snails, pectinid scallops, crab claws, and lobster fragments. Many specimens are complete and three dimensional, with original shell material still intact, which is unusual for a site this open to the public.
The site is run by the University of Tennessee at Martin and has been studied since the late 1800s, so the digging you do is grounded in real, ongoing research rather than a staged attraction. Programs are available for school groups, families, and independent visitors, with staff explaining the geology and fossil types before anyone starts digging.
A few things to know before you go:
Address: 2983 Hardin Graveyard Rd, Adamsville, TN 38310
Phone: +1 731-646-1636
Website: utm.edu/ccsc
Wear waterproof boots or old sneakers, since the creek bed is wet and banks get slick after rain
Bring a small bag for finds and a soft brush, like an old toothbrush, to clean specimens on site
Pack a change of clothes, sunscreen, and water
C**n Creek is one of only a handful of sites worldwide with this level of preservation, and fewer still that let you keep what you find.
