A slice of Jurassic Park in Pittsburgh, going inside The Jurassic Alcove | KD Sunday Spotlight
In South Park, off Brownsville Road, there's a brick building holding a tiny slice of Jurassic Park.
Step inside, and the founder, Domanic Bianco, will give you a tour of The Jurassic Alcove. He brings six full-sized dinosaurs to life and probably a thousand more into one room.
"There are actual dinosaur footprints. So, you are able to touch them and feel what a dinosaur's footprint would feel like in its plaster cast," said Bianco.
It's a hands-on experience that's truly a culmination of decades of gathering and creating.
"Yeah, the whole thing is my collection," he said.
It's more than a mecca for fans of the Mesozoic era.
"I love two things, number one, dinosaurs obviously," Bianco said. "But I love bringing people together."
So he's bringing people together from near and far, young and old, to see his free museum.
"It's just a blast to be able to use my own knowledge with dinosaurs and talking to people about it," he said.
During his guided tours, he shares a plethora of dinosaur facts. One example he told KDKA was, "a really large Triceratops can grow to be the size of one of the elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo."
He has the credibility to back up his information.
"My actual job is to create a magazine called the Jurassic Mag," he explained.
Through his job, he said he's "gotten to interview the world's top paleontologists like Dr Steve Brusatte, and Dr Paul Sereno. I've gotten to interview actors from Jurassic Park and Jurassic World."
He's even met Jurassic celebrities and worked with big names.
"My social media initiatives with companies like Mattel and Reebok and really neat companies," he said.
So, he formalized The Jurassic Alcove nonprofit in 2023 to share it with his community.
"Very proud that out of all of our reviews, they've been five stars," said Bianco.
Now there's a pit to dig for fossils; a paleontological tent complete with a projector; dinosaur video games; sensory craft tables; dinosaur movies; fossils, and all sorts of memorabilia.
"It's an incredible honor that one Allegheny County parks has allowed me to do this," he said.
When you come here, it's a miniature break from reality with a step into a land well before our time that's truly one man's dream come true, made available to you.
"It's quite literally a dream come true," Bianco said. "If you have something that you love, whatever it may be, try to pursue it as much as you can. Do whatever you can to be involved with it."
The Jurassic Alcove takes visitors of all ages and even facilitates parties. As a new feature, Bianco plans to have an eye-spy game inside the paleontology tent soon.
For more information on The Jurassic Alcove, you can check out the Facebook page.
