Paxton Gate Curiosities

Such a novel and wonderful place! It's a toy store and has that and other "curiosities". Really it's a great place to buy off-beat gifts for children and adults. They have toys, things to hang on the wall, and great books. I stop by anytime I can!

One of my all time favorite shops! It's a lot to take in but the staff is always so helpful & you can tell they really care & love what they do. But who wouldn't?! It's like working in a full time freak show & I mean that in the best way :) Bring cash & they always work to get you the best price possible. Love my new lamp & wall art frame! Big thanks to the entire staff!

This is the little ones version of nearby Paxton Gate (which is full of proper taxidermy and other fascinating/disturbing items)... it's also possibly one of the best kids' shops I have ever visited. Exactly the type of place that makes you wish you were 5 again. The place is full of brilliant wooden toys, toy taxidermy and science related fun, as well as great dressing-up pieces and colourful books.

As the aunt of a growing herd of nieces and one nephew I thank my lucky stars for Paxton Gate's kids store. Last December I was desperately late doing my holiday shopping and this store turned what could have been a marathon into one stop shopping. In particular I was looking for something that my sister called "play silks" and found exactly that on their shelves. Gorgeous, flowing silk for kids to imagine into anything like water, wings, a cape... whatever. Not cheap but smart gifts for those of us who don't want to buy kids another worthless piece of plastic.

Wonderful selection of kids toys from newborn and up. Lots of ageless music toys, science, nature toys. Compostable balloons for $2.25! My kid had a wonderful time here and the staff was very friendly.

This unique toy store has EVERYTHING artsy, science-y and just plan FUN! Need a stuffed capuchin monkey toy? Or a stuffed deep sea lantern fish? Or how about a plant root viewer? Need balloons and goody bags for your birthday party...get them here!

One of the coolest places in the mission for both kids and the "kids at heart" Paxton Gate's has tons of awesome, hand made items for kids and those that love awesome things. Both it and its sister store down the block inspire curiosity and wonder with all of their awesome items, including hand made "sock-monsters" totally NOT made by the writer of this review.

Super cool alternative shop for stuffed animals, bones, interesting gemstones. Generally good quality knick knacks and accessories. Also there's a nice plant shop in the back

UPDATE: 1 Week Later! Paxton Gate exemplifies excellent care for their customers and supports their artistic endeavors. A few weeks ago I bought a pair of beautiful blue morpho butterfly wings from Paxton Gate with the intention of preserving them for crafting. The enthusiastic insect keeper recommended I cover them in two layers of resin to both preserve and strengthen them. However, the beautiful iridescent colors of the wing did not react well to the resin. I returned to Paxton Gate for support, hoping to be heard, but the shopkeeper did not seem to care about my plight. She made it feel like it was all my fault, when I was hoping for some understanding, reconciliation or compromise. Sean from Paxton Gate reached out to me to offer an explanation, apology, and to offer some more wings to attempt to preserve them again, this time with proper technique. Thank you Sean for looking out for your customers! Your curiosity keepers, your bug enthusiasts, your weirdos and artists. We all appreciate your shop so much. There's nothing like it. That you would reach out to make amends means a lot to me and many others. Now I just have to wait for another super rare perfectly blue morpho top right jumbo wing to sustainably appear next year then I'll be all set!

I loved loved loved exploring this store! They have so many freakishly cool stuff! The workers were so friendly. I asked one of them if the animals and bones they sell were real, feeling stupid I even asked, and she made me feel better saying that it was a perfectly valid question. I've never been to a store that sold taxidermy and I always assumed that they would be over 5k but it was "oddly affordable". Lots of Knick knacks, books, jewelry, and they even have a plant section in the back. I could spend hours here. A gem in the mission district, that's for sure!

Crazy, weird, wonderful, gorgeous, unexpected, eye-opening, exciting, quirky,....These are all words I'd use to describe the treasures that can be found in Paxton Gate. You just never know what you might find! A not-to-be-missed adventure every time!

I love this store! There's something for everyone. I found fossils, rocks/crystals, a few plants, and a really cool pinned Peruvian beetle. It's probably my favorite store in San Francisco!

Very interesting store! Unexpected inventory and there's something to discover each way you turn! Staff is informative and helpful.

Been here many years before and didn't really like this place. Recently walked by with a friend and she wanted to go in again. She's been here before too. Inside - Lots of taxidermy covering the wall. I felt sadness. Some part of the store I felt like there are something creepy here. Don't know what. I told my friend I will wait for her outside.

Pretty cool / unique curiosity store in the Mission with everything from crystals to animal bones / skulls to art to a really great plant room in the back. So much to look at and really great for unique gifts or just to take in the randomness.

Oh my sweet satan do I love this store. The staff was INCREDIBLY friendly and so accommodating. Helped with everything. We came here to get me a birthday present (a skull from my boyfriend) and although they didn't have the bat skeleton that I was originally looking for we settled on an impala skull with horns. It wasn't cheap but for what I got, in my opinion, it's well worth it. We also picked up a plant and a framed butterfly. So so so beautiful and I can't stress enough how WONDERFUL the staff was. We'll be returning very soon for a few smaller skulls like a couple of raccoon skulls and a fox skull. So excited to go back!

I found this store online and was drawn to the quirkiness of the items they have for sale. This shop is great if you're into nature or animals, because most of the stuff is animal themed (decor, furnishings, games, toys, books, gifts) or actual animals (taxidermy). I think this theme adds to the charm of the place and gives it a lot of character. I love the displays they have for the animals, creative and detail-oriented. And I'm intrigued by the books I saw here, related to astrology, tarot, symbols, mythology, etc. They even have plants in the back nursery and outdoor garden area. Most items are a bit on the pricey side for me, but the quality and rarity seem worth coming back here for some unique gifts. We did get the bacon and cheese Crick-ettes Snax on this visit, which are real crickets, dried and seasoned (I know you could easily get these off Amazon, but we were feeling adventurous and curious). I chickened out later, when we were about to eat them. But I forced myself to imagine it was a potato chip/cracker. It tasted like a stale peanut shell, and I could not taste the "bacon and cheese" seasoning at all. Anyway, that's my experience. Oh, and the employee that helped us was friendly too, definintely encouraging the cricket-eating to cure a hangover. I hear they do events at Paxton Gate as well, so I look forward to seeing what they offer in the future.

This shop is a treasure trove for budding entomologists and nature enthusiasts. Children with a curiosity for the unusual will find this shop an exciting place to explore. It's a quirky, educational adventure that offers something for everyone in a slightly unconventional way. Trigger warning for the more squeamish children.

Love this place! I had been meaning to go here for awhile now, and we finally made time to go! I picked the perfect day, they were having a snakes and margaritas event which is right up my alley! I was able to get a few fun unique gifts for my son and mom (for Mother's Day) Would def go again, and I can't wait to take some of their workshops in the future.

Been frequenting this place for over 20 years, and it has definitely declined severely. Went to buy a ring for a family friend, and was greeted by a woman with horrible hygiene, who was coughing in my face and proceeded to tell me that she had high and rings for sale, and had no idea about her inventory. Disorganized, rude and apparently trying to spread things that are a little bit weird. I'm not gonna go off as I have a reputation here but it was an extremely strange situation and I will never ever support them again. Take care. Don't waste your time. There's other places like love or spots that actually know what they're doing.. love of Ganesh etc. What a horrible, inexcusable joke either way peace out to Paxton gate and thank you for over two decades of memories and I wish you the best but I will not be supporting you anymore.

Cool, weird spot with a lot of interesting oddities. Items can be expensive but you're paying to have something unique. I purchased VERY COOL odd dried flowers for a friend's birthday. I loved the gift. Glad this treasure exists.

A total treasure. So happy that they had survived the pandemic. It feels like you are stepping into Alice in Wonderland

I wanted to love this store but I just couldn't. Unfriendly workers, ridiculous prices and taxidermy. Taxidermy in SF? I saw the pictures and thought this place looks awesome, I got there and it just made me sad. In a culturally vibrant area like the Mission this just isn't my cup of tea- and the plant room in the back was truly sad. I thought about asking the four employees behind the counter about the giraffe and it's story and who it sold to? For how much? And I decided I better not.

Interesting collections, great location, friendly people. Store is well set up. Wide range of learning supplies. Great for all ages. Just an all over great store.

What a cool and mysterious shop this is! I imagine the feeling of walking into this place is the closest I would get to the experience of being inside the Harry Potter universe. Fossils, skeletons, dinosaurs bones and teeth, taxidermy, exotic insects, preserved reptile specimens, plants, charts, maps, rocks, crystals...everything a modern alchemist or wizard needs in their potion kit, I presume.

I always have to stop by this place to check out the awesome taxidermy and plant selection. I picked up cute croton and some shells for a terrarium I'm planning to build. A must if you ever find yourself in the mission!

Finally made it to Paxton Gate today after much anticipation and review hype I'm pleased to report it lived up to expectations fully! Artfully and expertly curated PG's taxidermy is responsibly sourced and attractive. I found the prices very competitive, and not outrageous. I would liken it to a modern take on a shop of curiosities with a bit of of goth theme and some great apothecary items, a large offering of decor crystals and stones and a surprise selection plants and succulents. Looked to be a a favorite of tourists too, but not overwhelming so. I enjoyed the visit and would consider purchasing a mount from them in the future.

I am so in awe of this store. I would love to have drinks with the business owner and talk about how this vision came to life. I can't think of a time when I have entered this creative space and left without a "piece". From art to plants, to beautiful animals captured in forever beauty....we love you Paxton Gate.

My ring fell apart after two weeks of purchase. Customer service was great! I didn't keep my receipt and they still helped me out and gave me store credit.

Super fun and interesting store! So many crystals, fun scientific-based gifts for your fellow nerds, and awesome plant prices! The staff members were really friendly, easily approachable with questions, and very knowledgeable

I visited the store today from about 4:20PM-4:50PM. I was the only client in the store the entire time, minus a couple clients for a few minutes. The associate with very curly short hair sitting on stool reading magazine and scrolling through phone looked up at me 5x times but didn't even smile or acknowledge me. The other associate who came out and rang up me also didn't acknowledge me at all while they talked back and forth with other associate. I had intention to spend $500+ on multiple gifts but no 'hello' or offer to assist. Instead I spent $5. I love supporting small stores but please do better and at the very least say hello. As a reminder, shoppers often drive far away only to visit your store, which was my case. The least you can do it say hello and act like you work there.

One of my favorite shops in the mission. Such unique taxidermy and animal remains. Very friendly staff and I think the items are fairly priced. They also offer insect pinning classes, so you can learn how to properly display and store an insect in a case. If you walk to the back, they have a plant nursery, how cool is that? Death in front, life in back. I've bought quite a few succulents from them. This shop is a must visit even if you're not particularly interested in bones or taxidermy, simply just for the experience of walking around and viewing their selection. I also believe everything is ethically sourced, which is a priority to me when buying anything animal related.

Last year I bought a lamp from Paxton Gate, on a sale for 20% off. When I got it the light didn't work (a clerk told me that might happen) Anyway, looking online I found advertising for other lamps by the artist, several at Paxton Gate for 60% off! I was excited to get another, as they were expensive. I went online and filled out the order, but didn't send it as I wanted to check in the store about getting in store pickup rather than delivery. I asked the clerk about it and she didn't know about the discount, and asked me to show her. Easy to do. A few minutes later I decided that the lamp was what I wanted so I went to finish the order, it wouldn't accept the discount. I went back and the clerk told me it was a mistake and they won't honor it. It's still up online. Very disappointed, I could have just ordered it and been done, but by talking to the staff I got screwed. No offers to honor it or even make any gesture. I feel like they really don't care about the customer experience even for prior customers. #paxtongate #evanchamberslamp

Super cute place to pop in and check out "treasures & oddities" in the mission. While there's a big wow factor to most of the items in the shop, they do have a wide selection of air plants and the necessary parts to personalize your own terrarium. Bottom line: Come in to check out the taxidermied animals!

This place is awesome, i love it. the place is very cool and fun to look around. they're stuff is pretty neat and i enjoy visiting there once in a while. my favorite section in the store gotta be the crystals, they're all so beautiful.

It's a magical world here: high quality taxidermy (some vintage massive and exotic, some whimsical, some enchanting and beautiful), all the glassware you need for an alchemy lab, healing rocks and crystals, and a full plant house in the back. The looming African savannah animals really transform us into a different world. Probably a bit dark and scary for kids but for urban adults, this is like diagon alley

Super neat spot. A little too expensive for me but they have a lot of great pieces. Even if you don't buy anything it is a cool store to look around. Some might say it is creepy. They have human bones and lots of stuffed animals.

This store has cool stuff, cool staff, and probably the best gift wrapping in the bay area. Pay the $5 for the gift wrapping, you won't regret it.

We bought a jackalope and less than a year later it was clear it hadn't been prepared correctly. We asked a professional taxidermist and he said that wrong preparation is clearly to blame. The store owner isn't responsive and my wife was just told "sometimes that happens" in the store. I highly recommend not spending a lot when buying any prepped animals as they clearly don't know what they're doing. See attached pictures...

I'm hella frustrated about this because I've loved Paxton Gate for years. I thought I already had written a 5 star review on here. Apparently not. And then apparently I got the worst experience I've ever had in my multiple years of coming here. It was absolutely disappointing. Awhile back I'd gotten a button here which sadly had fallen off of the backpack which it was on. It was important to me & when I came back I wanted to find it again. I saw three folks doing absolutely nothing at the register complaining to eachother essentially & politely asked if I could get some assistance looking for the button. "Hi. I'm looking for a button I bought here before..." "We only have what's in there" the first person told me. Ok... I didn't even get to... but alright. I dug through a sea of buttons. The first woman was rude. Ok she went away, let me try this other one. "Excuse me but can you..." "No." she said abruptly. Round 3 next. I've been digging through buttons for a bit now going through each one by one. I saw someone with a shirt on that said "Be Kind" with a shift change I hoped there was an attitude change. Absolutely not. "I'm not going to help you. Do it yourself." this one told me while looking over at someone else & talking ironically helpful to some blonde conventional woman who approached from the left asking about something else. I'd walked in with skates & 50s glasses. Maybe these folks didn't think I had money to spend there or something. They were rude & snubby which was hella frustrating given that I've loved & raved about this shop several times over the many years I've been coming here. I'm a freelance writer & have an adoration for death, gardening, and essentially everything I thought this shop was about... except this horrible attitude. I tweeted about this when this incident happened here: https://twitter.com/Scandalous/status/1163229933537116161 What an absolute shame. I love this store. I hope this isn't a new & ongoing thing.

Oh my god. This place is the coolest and if you're looking for a unique gift, you're going to find it here! Don't be intimidated by it- there are lots of options and you'll be able to find a lovely piece for anyone. Whether it's a fossilized shark tooth, twisty green plants or a class for taxidermy- they've got it all! My favorites are the little taxidermy mouse heads.

Interesting store. I've always walked past this store over the years and thought it was just a taxidermy store until I walked in a few days ago. It's that and more. The animals looks like they're very much still alive. Very detailed. Preserved stuff like rats in jars too. They have a nice variety of succulents in the back of the store and you can even walk out to their patio to see even more. Also love how they have books that are plant and anatomy based too. A book showing all the wonderful strains of Marijuana or species of mushrooms caught my interest. They also had trays and other decorative stuff which is a bit pricey but I guess it would make for a unique gift.

This shop is loaded with fossils and shells and minerals and a beautiful succulent air garden selection in the back. It's an unexpected treasure on Valencia...then again, Valencia is just loaded with eye candy. I only had eyes for the minerals once I saw the front case. My hubs is super into these things and it kills as a gift. Fresh back from a show they had an incredible selection to choose from, which is pretty much all anyone who loves or wants to gift one of these beauties could ask for. They're reasonably priced and they enjoy the shared enthusiasm. They are also knowledgable on what each one is called as well as stock that might not be on display. Many thanks for all the assistance!

Paxton Gate is filled with all sorts of plants and home decor, ranging from affordable $4 succulents to extravagant taxidermy mantlepieces ranging in the thousands. I visited the store with the intent of purchasing the former to decorate a new home, and I was more than pleased to discover that this store offered a wide variety of plants to choose from. Additionally, there was a potting station with soil and gravel for you to prepare your plant for your home which delighted me. The store had friendly associates who offered great advice when it comes to selecting your plants and pots. Given their wide assortment of beautiful decor and plants with affordable pricing, I definitely would return to this store to decorate my home in the future.

One of my favorite stores and a favorite spot to take people new to the Bay Area. I've gotten a moth, a beetle, and a springbok horn here. The staff are super helpful when I'm asking about what kinds of bugs they have.

One of the coolest and most intriguing shops in the Bay Area! They're certainly not cheap; small tumbled stones run around $5, with larger ones being more expensive. Posters are $5.50, where other stores carry the same ones for $4.50; the store I work in carries them for $4.95. Also, $25 for a large glass jar with a standard metal twist-on lid? There are nicer ones at Daiso for $3. That being said, there are some unique items you won't find anywhere else. Being a huge snake person, I was able to get a clean snake rib and vertebrae for less than $20. They have a nice plant section with mainly succulents, but I found a large, lovely, healthy ZZ plant for $15 that I cherish. Long story short: crystals, posters, and glass jars/ storage-- buy somewhere else; bones, books, plants-- great!

What a creative place to discover the oddities you never thought you loved. Carnivorous plants, roaring Lion heads, finger chopping Beatles, random furriness, Orchids and so much more! The shop is split in half with the rear housing plants, shrubs, flowers and potting supplies. Usually there is a knowledgable gardener that will answer your questions. Terrariums are the rage now, so you can bet that Paxton Gate has alllll the supplies you need to build the epic rrerium. They even offer classes! The front of the shop houses the fun stuff - taxidermy galore! Bugs, heads, shells, stones, apothecary tools and even a small book section. I could spend hours in here.. in fact I did! The staff are beyond friendly and very knowledgable about their wares. One of the staff gave me advice on how to care for my new carnivorous plant. Definitely an amusing shop to explore when in the Mission and if you live here.. well lucky you!

I could spend an entire day in here and still not see the entire store; it's jam packed with anything and everything kinda dark and mysterious. It was an amazing experience and I simply cannot wait to go back. I was fascinated by pretty much everything they had to offer. I ended up walking away with five beautiful posters crystals, whales, two cacti, and an octopus, as well as a red fox skull (I've always wanted a skull so it was a fantastic birthday gift to myself. Also a die hard fan of Juniper fox on ig so), and a bunch of sea critters to make a shadow box for my new apartment in Monterey. My sister made one of the hanging cactus planters and it turned out so cute. You get to pick your plant, extra vegetation, rocks, glass, lava, etc. Very excited about all of my purchases~ The staff was just as lovely and so helpful! Thank you! I don't want to say anything bad about anyone else but I've watched the show Oddities sf and been to Love to Death a few times without knowing this place existed and I'm so glad I found this gem instead because that place is over rated and over priced. Not to mention that owner is not too nice of a lady.

I normally don't write reviews on Yelp but I was extremely excited to come and shop here(and probably buy something) but left disappointed. My boyfriend and I are from Orange County and we both love weird and odd collectables. I called in advance to make sure they were open and the lady told me that they were open till 5pm, not once mentioning that we needed to make a reservation in advance to shop in store. We arrived after a 30 min uber ride from our hotel only to find out you need a reservation to shop in store. I asked the lady at the door if there is anyway we can come inside since there was no one shopping inside and she said you have to make a reservation 24 hrs in advance but not once did the lady mention it over the phone. I asked if we purchased something curbside if they can ship it to our house since we flew out here from OC and she basically said just go shop on the website since itll be easier lol. Cool store (from what it looks like outside and pictures) , rude shitty staff.

I wanted to like this store. I like to collect animal skulls and bones I find while hiking. I think they're beautiful and each one has a story, a life behind it. What I felt on walking in was sensory overload (can there be a thing as too much taxidermy? That question has been answered for me), followed by discomfort and sadness. I want to believe that these are all "ethically sourced" but with the sheer volume present I highly doubt that. Buying pinned butterflies from Asia that were raised on a butterfly farm to be killed and pinned and sold to Westerners doesn't constitute ethical in my book. I understand it does for others and I'm not looking to shame someone who loves them. I can't even begin to rationalize trophy heads. Overall I'd say the place gave me the feeling of disrespecting the lives behind the collectibles. Maybe that's why the employees have such poor reviews? The store exudes disregard. It was....gross consumption, and I left feeling ashamed.

Friendly staff, lots of cool items at great prices. I came all the way from Elk Grove to specifically shop here.

When here after reading all the reviews expecting it to be a freaky place, but I found it to be much more tame than what I expected. I been to a store on Clark Street in Chicago (I don't know if it still exists) where the theme was death and pain with crime scene photos and some really scary stuff. Compared to that, this was Animal Kingdom at Disneyworld. Didn't buy anything here and I cannot think of an occasion where I would buy something here. I am not a big fan of giving a gift which I wouldn't want.

If I had a house, Paxton Gate would be where I go for whimsical interior design and gardening needs! Store has a unique selection of natural decor items from gemstones to taxidermy, animal skin rugs, and shells. Head out back and there are both indoor and outdoor garden areas, with leafy plants, succulents, and even pitcher plants. Walking into this store is like how I'd imagine a real-life Miss Frizzle decorates her home. Prices are kind of all over the place, with some great deals to be had if you know what you're looking for. Staff are helpful but generally stay out of your way so you can explore, small baskets are available by the door to hold eclectic items as you go. Keep an eye out for the matted nature prints from local artists, available in the $50-100 range.

My young daughter is fascinated by this store, and whenever we visit SF we like to come here and buy unusual trinkets. We were excited to see on their website that they were indeed open this past weekend. Drove there, spent 30 minutes looking for parking, and arrived to see it was open by appointment only. There were no customers inside, and we asked if we could make an appointment, to be told that they only book appointments on the website 24 hours in advance. I understand that they want to limit visitors during covid, but there was no obvious information on their website indicating this. It was super disappointing.

WOW! AMAZING!!! very cool place to come visit! I loved how eclectic this store is ranging from selling animal bones and teeth, to plants and terrariums and collectable rocks! Price ranged from pretty cheap to kind of expensive at least for the items I looked at which was animal bones were cheap (about 1.50 to a few dollars) and pre-made terrariums were averaged $38 in recycled glass bottles. They have the place kind of separated so the animal related things, and rocks were up front and in the back room and outside patio area they have the plants and items to create terrariums. Very cute! I would come back to purchase some cute plant holders and the plants themselves. Definitely recommend trying this place out! :)

Pinned butterflies, stuffed deer, snake skeletons, cacti, books ... the volume of natural oddities here that you won't find anywhere else is stunning. The prices are what they are but the inventory is so cool, you'll want to bring your friends from out of town. They offer taxidermy and pinning classes too!

Where oh where can I find a unicorn, some glass eyes and a vintage lion claw? It's my lucky day, Paxton Gate offers one stop shopping. This modern oddity shop offers everything from strange to surreal. I've never considered myself a fan of taxidermy, but their collection is quite unique. I inquired once about one of the creatures and found out you can rent them if you wanted to use them for a photo shoot or something of the like. Go in with an open mind because besides the curiosities there are quite a few pretty little things that would compliment most home's decor. There is also jewelery, books and art. It's no little shop of horrors, but there is also a good selection for those with a green thumb. Carnivorous plants, air plants and succulents to name a few. They also have beautiful Victorian terrariums that vary in size. Get on the mailing list or check their Facebook page and go to their annual sidewalk sale (around May). This is when everything is affordable. Goods are typically slightly damaged, but still in good condition. The staff is friendly and well versed on all subjects that fill the store. You can also take gardening, terrarium, insect pinning and taxidermy classes there. This is a great place to ogle and buy presents that will get people talking.