Paxton Gate

"I love how knowledgeable the staff are about the origins of their products. It adds a professionalism to the selling of oddities that makes it possible for everyday people to appreciate the interesting collections they have. Their jewelry selection is my favorite. Not cheap though, it will have to be a forever prized piece if you get jewelry from here. Also carnivorous plants!"

"I am in love with this place. I walked in by accident last year and ended up strolling the store for a couple hours. It is easy to get lost in the beauty of it all. So in love with the ambience, the specimens, the super knowledgeable and awesome people who work there AND the fact that this museum-level display of natural wonders is FREE to see! Everything is ethically sourced, which puts my heart at ease and I always find wonderful little treasures to take home on each trip. Love it."

"There are two main downsides to this shop, first a fair bit of their stuff seems to be overpriced but it is to be expected at least somewhat for an in person store. Second and the bigger issue is that they sell bat specimens, which are ALWAYS illegally and unethical poached, this makes me feel a bit concerned about the rest of their items as if they're buying poached bats what else might they be stocking. Plus sides: ~Lots of cool stuff to see if you want to just look around. ~Huge variety ~Classes and Insect Pinning Kits ~Posters, plants and rocks as well as dead stuff ~50 cent rocks! I wish I got more of these. ~Super cute pins! Only $9 I got a deaths head hawkmoth, it's a good quality pin I didn't notice any defects and its really gorgeous ~A lot of their smaller items were pretty reasonabley priced, I got a canine tooth, bobcat rib, snake vertebra, pin and 10 of the .50 rocks and my order was under $20 So overall I'd be wary of not buying anything likely to be wild caught such as Asian or African insects and the freeze dried toads as they may not be legally, sustainably or ethically sourced. Don't buy the bats at all. Don't buy bat specimens anywhere unless they're 2nd hand. And I'd compare prices a bit as well, the air plants were ridiculously priced at like $10 each (they're normally like $3-5 each or 3 for $5), some of their wet specs were also a bit overpriced. But if you're looking for somewhere fun to check out or some cool rocks, fossils or taxidermy pieces I'd recommend!"

"not five stars because prices were a bit on the expensive end (for me). skeletons, taxidermies, fetal animals, posters, plants, and a bunch of other cool treasures are displayed here. the whole set up is so unique and unlike any store i’ve ever been in. even if you don’t feel like buying anything, this place is great for just looking around and seeing some really interesting stuff."

"My son & I love this store, also the one on Mississippi. There is loads of interesting taxidermy, rocks, minerals, plants and fossils to look at, always learning from the staff. We try to visit every couple months as there is always new items. Definitely worth a visit!"