- Another place where you might find something with a story to tell is the Aurora Fossil Museum.

Inside, visitors will learn about North Carolina's prehistoric past.

But just across the street, you can sift through a big fossil pit and might discover bones and teeth from ancient marine life that once swam in the region.

Producer Clay Johnson shows us what he learned from his expedition.

(birds chirping) (fossils crunching) - Oh, look at that one.

- That's a really good one.

- That one's cool.

[birds crowing] - Melanie Derham and a friend are digging for fossils at the Aurora Fossil Museum.

- Came here to find some shark teeth, hopefully.

- The museum's two fossil pits are one of the most interactive components of its educational mission.

- I think it just helps people who are visual learners.

I'm one of those.

And just to be able to put your hands on it, and it keeps you excited.

You know, every time you find a shark tooth, you just get really excited.

And then you wanna know, well, where did this come from?

How did it get here?

- The material Derham and other visitors are digging through is delivered regularly by the nearby nutrient phosphate mine.

Phosphate was discovered here on the northern shore of the Pamlico River in the 1950s.

In 1965, the Texas Gulf Sulphur Company began mining it.

- And they were coming across some corals and different things, and they sent it to the Smithsonian, some of these samples, thinking, "What, why do we have coral here in eastern North Carolina?"

So the Smithsonian came down and realized and identified this as one of the rich fossil locations on the eastern seaboard for this type and age of fossils.

- The mining company partnered with the town of Aurora and local fossil lovers to create a museum in 1976.

- So the idea of opening a museum was to help with bringing people here and showcasing what Aurora has, which is now known all over the world as one of the places to visit if they wanna see this age and the fossils, especially megalodon teeth.

- Locals who found fossils at the mine when it was open to the public were inspired by them to create the museum's collections.

- It was founded and built by hobbyists, by people who love fossils, who love collecting fossils, and wanted to share it with the public.

- The museum is across the street from the fossil pits in the heart of Aurora's tiny downtown.

You enter through a gift shop filled with fun fossil merch.

- These are our megalodon teeth.

They are roughly 23 to 17 million years old, and they're for sale here in our gift shop.

- A mock megalodon shark greets you in the hallway leading to the exhibit rooms.

There are lots of fossilized shark's teeth and fossils from whales, dolphins, and walruses.

- They're about six to 16 million years old, mostly marine animals.

- There are Native American artifacts on display and an exhibit that shows how the phosphate mining process works, uncovering different layers of soil.

- You can see some of the fossil areas within those layers, and that's where these fossils were found and discovered within the depth of this section.

- But the star of the show is a replica set of megalodon jaws.

- Where you can get up into the jaw and get your picture taken and actually connect with a large shark and think, "Oh my gosh, I'm inside a shark's mouth."

It was the apex predator of its time.

- Some of the fossilized sharks, the teeth from the megalodon can reach up to six inches, making it about a 60-foot long shark.

- Candy Corner from the museum is its learning center.

Inside, there are fossils from around the world, including some of the earliest on record.

There are rocks and minerals from all over the world too, and a multi-purpose room that serves as a classroom and event space.

The museum hosts the North Carolina Fossil Festival every Memorial Day weekend, its biggest fundraiser, but year-round, the biggest draw is the fossil pit.

- I would love to find a mag.

You know, most people are looking for the big ones.

I love snaggletooth ones too, just knowing that finding any extinct shark tooth is just, it's exciting.

- Kids love it, families love it, it's free.

It's a way for people to engage with science.

You just don't see a lot of phones or electronics out there.

You just see people out there having fun and enjoying themselves.

- Oh, here's another one!

♪ - The Aurora Fossil Museum is located at 400 Main Street in Aurora.

For their days and hours of operation, visit them online at aurorafossilmuseum.org.