A French Quarter Shop for Taxidermy, Tarot and Gothic Treasures

An octopus inside a globe is the sort of object that can stop a French Quarter stroll in its tracks. Inside this compact oddities shop, it is also far from alone. Taxidermy, wet specimens, entomology displays, skeletal remains and handmade artwork share the room with cards, candles, books and small decorative things that are difficult to classify in any ordinary retail category.

The merchandise is arranged for wandering rather than quick, aisle-by-aisle shopping. A visitor may make a full circuit, turn around, and spot another specimen, print or curious little object that somehow escaped notice the first time. The close-packed presentation rewards a slow look.

Its mood moves comfortably between beautiful, whimsical and mildly unsettling. One shelf may offer a decorative curiosity with a playful edge; another may hold a natural specimen that asks for closer inspection. Not every odd-looking object is meant to be read as a literal specimen, either. Some sit in the interesting middle ground between natural history and fanciful artistic invention.

The shop’s taxidermy and ethically sourced bones give the collection much of its visual weight, but they are not treated as the whole story. Entomology, wet specimens and skeletal pieces appear alongside art and atmospheric household goods, so the browse keeps changing character from corner to corner.

Wet specimens can be especially striking in a setting like this, where the scale of a jar or globe lets a viewer linger over its contents. The octopus globe is a memorable example of the store’s knack for presenting something scientific, decorative and a little uncanny all at once.

The inventory changes, which gives a return visit a fresh reason to scan the displays. A piece that looks like it belongs in a Victorian cabinet of curiosities might be near a newly arrived print, a seasonal Halloween object or an artisan-made item with a much more contemporary sensibility.

Vintage Halloween decorations have a natural home here. Their old-fashioned colors, exaggerated faces and slightly strange cheer fit easily among the shop’s darker offerings, and they give the collection a welcome sense of humor.

Staff can talk through the origins and makers of particular Halloween pieces, useful when an object looks as though it has its own long backstory. For shoppers who collect seasonal decorations, these are not generic party-store leftovers; they are the sort of finds that invite a closer look.

Handmade rubber masks are another distinctive category. They make sense as wall pieces, costume-adjacent collectibles or simply unusual conversation starters, and they help keep the shop from feeling like a museum display. Much of the appeal lies in finding objects that can be admired, displayed or actually taken home.

The shelves and walls also make room for work by local artists and makers. Art prints offer an accessible way to bring home the shop’s gothic, macabre or playful visual language without committing to a three-dimensional specimen or a larger decorative piece.

Handcrafted objects broaden the selection further. Some are elegant, some are deliberately odd, and some land somewhere between the two. The range gives a mixed group plenty to browse: a dedicated collector can examine the specimens while someone else looks through prints, cards or smaller artisan goods.

Cards and books make especially good browsing material in a place built around curiosity. The reading selection includes occult- and macabre-themed titles, and a distinctive tarot deck can be the sort of purchase that slips easily into a suitcase while still carrying home the shop’s personality.

Not everything here is behind glass or destined for a display cabinet. Candles, herbs, incense and related atmospheric goods bring a more everyday dimension to the assortment. They suit a gothic home setup, a personal ritual shelf or simply a person who prefers their practical purchases with more character.

Among the smaller offerings are herbal teas from Morbid Curiositea, a nicely offbeat addition to a shop where the merchandise does not follow predictable categories. It is easy to imagine arriving for a look at taxidermy and leaving with tea, a card and a new book instead.

Wax melts and hand-dipped incense made by the owners’ parents add a family-made thread to the inventory. Those items sit alongside locally produced work and sourced curiosities, a reminder that the shop is a deliberately assembled mix rather than a single-style boutique.

Questions are welcome here, including from people who know little about specimens, taxidermy or occult-adjacent collecting. Staff can explain what an object is made from, where it came from, who made it or how it fits into the larger collection.

That conversation can be as useful for seasoned practitioners and collectors as it is for curious newcomers. Details about local sources connected to some pieces give the objects more context than a tag alone could provide.

The staff also know the broader terrain of unusual New Orleans. Ask about related macabre-minded businesses and destinations around the city, and the visit can become a useful starting point for a more eccentric day in the Quarter and beyond. Browsing without buying is welcome, so there is room to take in the collection without feeling rushed toward the register.

The shop is in New Orleans’ French Quarter, where it makes an easy stop during a neighborhood wander. Its small footprint is dense rather than cramped in spirit: allow time to circle back, look higher and lower, and notice the details that did not register on the first pass.

Photography and video are generally not permitted inside, so ask before taking any images. That leaves the attention where it belongs anyway: on the mask, the old Halloween decoration, the tiny print, the specimen in a jar or whatever unusual object has caught your eye.

Selected purchases can be shipped, including some scented goods, though shipping carries an added fee. Certain oddities are subject to legal shipping restrictions, so availability for shipment depends on the particular object and its destination.