This shop has a mysterious vibe and lots of interesting stuff. I bought a little human hand bone for only 12 dollars. Very good price. read more

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Sadly as cool as this store is they are NOT great when it comes time to pay. We were OVER charged for 2 taxidermy pufferfish when we only bought one. And charged for the more expensive shark tooth when we bought the cheaper one. They don't have barcodes or SKU numbers. So it seems the employees are just guessing what the products are. Super cool store love it here But, my boyfriend and I were on a trip last week. Came for the first time and bought a bunch of stuff. They do not have Barcodes on the items, which is fine but if you're going to do that, make sure your employees know what is what. A easy mistake to make I'm sure, but they should probably fix there system style so mistakes like this are not easy to make. Sadly we didn't notice till we were already on our way home the next day, so there's not much we can do about it. Again all these could be fixed if they had barcodes or sku numbers. Other than that a super cool store, employees were friendly. But wish we were not overcharged for a cheaper item, and charged for something we did NOT get. Wish we could have got our money back but we don't live in San Fran. read more

There was a store on Melrose in LA called "necromance" that I loved and Paxton Gate is in the same vein. Bones, natural history, taxidermy, gems, stones, fossils and curios. I love unique stores like this. It's in the gentrified part of the Mission, hilariously next to the Pirate store on Valencia. You can find parking if you come around 10 but at lunch till evening parking will be rough. Home and Garden: I can't think of another curio and natural wonder store that also has exotic plants and well designed pots and planters. I would come check out their plant section if you are into unique plants. Bugs and butterflies: I've always loved the look of preserved insects and bugs and they are nicely framed here. They also have classes you can sign up for to teach you how to spread and preserve moths and butterflies. Bones and Skulls: the kids loved seeing all the weird bones and skulls. They have carved cow skulls and exotic animals parts. All these kinds of stores always seem to have a raccoon penis for sale. It's fun and worth going to, a bit like a stop at a museum but you can buy the exhibits! read more

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Pretty cool spot! Never heard of it before, I guess it's a franchise since there's some of these also in Oregon. So many interesting things to see that it can feel like you can spend hours here trying to decide what you want to buy. Aside from their taxidermy they're also a plant shop. They hold events here where the only Taxidermist in the Bay comes and teaches classes on taxidermy! The staff was really friendly, genuinely seem like they enjoy working there which made my shopping experience a pleasant one. The location is great one for such a fun store like this, I'd definitely come back. read more

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Have you ever wonder what happened to the remains of the food you ate at a restaurant? This could have happened at the farm where the cow you are eating almost became a total waste. The good news there is an afterlife which means an aftermarket for these inedible skull leftovers. You can think of it as recycling animal body parts. On a Summer stroll in the urban habitat of the Mission in San Francisco I stepped into on Valencia street into what I would describe somewhat of taxidermy museum / plant garden inside Paxton Gate. Growing up in the Mission it was more of a concrete jungle back in the days . The Police Station on 17th street and Valencia is there for a reason . No one would walk willy-nilly on Valencia street at night in the past because people use to prey on strangers and tourists. Glad things did changed today around and on Valencia street . Although there is a BeeHive a few doors where party animals swarm during the night but the day time belongs to dead animal viewing at Paxton Gate. Once inside Paxton Gate I saw animal heads hung up on the wall displayed like hunting trophies . You will find a Taxidermy of an Alligator head and also a Raccoon in a Trash Can Taxidermy ( I wonder if they are feasting during the trash strike). They also have crystals inside to get rid of the bad vibes in SF. In the back of Paxton Gate you find a garden with lots of plants. This place is a great place to enjoy the skulls of Grateful Dead animals on the shelves and in the back the energy of the living plants is electric. The only animals that remain on the same block on Valencia street are the party animals at night. Paxton Gate is fun place and provides good service the dead animals you will find some were social animals and some were lone wolves and some cats were" hermits "all hung up on walls for the public to view as the preserved animals "epidermis" and which was stuffed by the professional "Taxidermists" In the past Valencia street and the surrounding streets in San Francisco would heat up and also get cold at night like a "Thermos" but today's Valencia street improvements has been enormous seeing more growth and more restaurants with the city issuing more "business permits" read more

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My nephew visits every summer and this is one of his favorites places to go. The place is very tactile and visually stimulating with all of the unique items. For a kid that loves animals and insects, this is a must stop-in. I even found a few things for me. read more

Paxton Gate - Animal teeth - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

Beautiful store with so many fun, beautiful and odd things to look at! Taxidermy, plants and funky gift items! They also offer taxidermy classes which sounds super fun! read more

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Visiting this place is always an interesting. Primarily, a taxidermy/oddities based operation, from my observation, they also have many plants, books and other curiosities. So much to look at, you could spend quite sometime trying to take it all in. I hadn't been inside a few years and decided to stop bye. I was directed to checkout the human skeleton (skulls, spinal bones, et al) remains that were on display in a small case). Would recommend paying this place a visit if you are strolling on Valencia street taking in the many sights, sounds, bars and restaurants. read more

Paxton Gate - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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! read more

Paxton Gate - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

Treasure trove of a store with everything from strange taxidermy to geodes and other rocks to plants to books to jewelry. It's a very distinctive place to shop. There's no other store like it in San Francisco. Their selection of rocks and animal bones is vast. Nice game section for young people and just something for everyone. I love their tiny plants and planters, too. read more

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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! read more

Paxton Gate - Discoloration upon following store's instructions for butterfly wing preservation - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is amazing, the taxidermy and items you find here are so unique and all the employees are incredibly nice, helpful and accommodating. They are very knowledgeable and let you hold certain things to have a better view or even take a picture read more

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What a fascinating store! A beautiful collection of nature. Extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff. Was welcomed when I walked through the door. They were patient and answered all my questions. read more

I was browsing around in this store when I spotted a real Megaladon tooth for the first time! I was in awe just to see it and wouldnt have even thought to ask to touch it, but the person at the counter just pulled it out and handed it to me and let me have my moment even though I didnt express any ability to actually buy it. They gave me such an incredible moment that I wont forget! Because of this experience and that person's kindness and awesome personality, I will always seek this shop out and recommend to all my friends! Thats what happens when you hire the right people who actually like their job! Keep up the great work, awesome store! read more

Not comfortable here. For a number of reasons. These people are paranoid as... hm. Seriously: this store is more heavily "gendarmed" than Hermes or Tiffany... except that the merchandise here is rocks and teeth and... plants. Every 12 inches all over the store, there are signs that say, "please do not steal." Dumb-dumb. Someone who is apt to steal would highly likely not be deterred by an index card that says, "please do not steal." LOL. I have been here twice now; once to purchase (not for personal use), once to exchange the purchase (no returns allowed). Both times, the unfriendly staff watched me significantly more than was natural, and significantly more than with which I felt comfortable. If I went to browse in an area, a staff member happened to turn up in the same area. I engaged in conversation with them on multiple occasions, yet when I turned around, they'd be staring at me again. Just not cool. It gives very "guilty until proven innocent." This does not make for a comfortable browsing experience, and certainly does not make me want me to spend money. It's a retail business; they sell small items (like rocks): theft, unfortunately, is going to happen - there will most assuredly be some knucklehead ignoramus out there who sets his picayune sights on stealing a rock. But, that does not make it acceptable for this business to treat every individual who walks into the store as though they are thieves waiting to happen. If they feel that they must, then perhaps they should consider relocating their business to a neighborhood where they feel comfortable enough with their own clientele to treat them with decency. This is one of those situations where they value their merchandise as "treasures," significantly more than they should. The entire left side of the store, with the exception of the bones and quills and teeth of those poor animals, is on Amazon. I should've taken photos of the items at the store, taken screenshots of the exact same items on Amazon, and posted them both here. Same thing with the kiddie corner on the right side of the store; they're selling Folkmanis puppets for goodness sake! Everything is ridiculously priced - brass earrings are $250+; brass shouldn't even be worn in one's ears, but these idiots were treating them as though they're high-end, desirable objet d'art. Most importantly, I agree with other reviewers: nothing about this place reads as "ethical sourcing." The sheer volume suggests otherwise. It's a highly disturbing experience: at present, there's a literal FRENCH BULLDOG in a jar, a CYCLOPS KITTEN in a jar, DOG SKULLS, CHICKEN SKULLS, CAT SKULLS, DOG RIBS, CAT RIBS, MUMMIFIED FETAL PIGS, SHRUNKEN HEADS, FETAL PIGS IN UTERO, FETAL SLOTHS IN JARS, FETAL KITTENS, COYOTE TOE BONES, BEAR CLAWS, RACOON BACULUM, taxidermy to beat the band, and on and on and on. It is simply illegal. You'd get me to believe that the Earth is flat before I would believe that each and every one of the thousands of body parts in that "tomb" of a store has a trail that leads back to an ethical source. It is shocking that they've flown under the radar for so long in a city like San Francisco. But to that end, it is noteworthy that the name of the store seems to camouflage what they actually sell inside. They call it "a collectibles store," or a "natural museum." It is not a museum at all; that's a flat-out lie, and why are they so vague and secretive about what the "collectibles" are? If everything is legal and above water, why are they so secretive about what they sell? I had a visceral reaction seeing a poor giraffe head and neck on the wall. Giraffes are endangered! How are they getting away with this?? I felt sick leaving the store, and I feel like I'm gonna throw up now thinking about it. read more

This is one of the most unique and curious shops in SF. It's my absolute favorite place for finding an unusual gift or just exploring

its always fun and interesting browsing/shopping in here. the workers are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about these unique pieces. thank you so much to the pink-haired girl (so sorry i didnt catch your name!) at the insect/butterfly display counter and for indulging us with your impressive knowledge and patience when we wanted to take a closer look at everything while being gracious enough to educate us at the same time. So excited to add this guy to my collection! read more

Paxton Gate - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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. read more

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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! read more

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. read more

Paxton Gate - A carved cow head... of course. - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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! read more

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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. read more

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So fascinating and oddly beautiful are the wares of this somewhat macabre taxidermy + shop. They sell lovely and odd jewelry too. Many dark and light subjects to explore. And as always the sprinkling of humor throughout. read more

I always have a great time shopping at Paxton Gate. The associates are always super friendly and happy to answer questions about all the cool stuff they carry. They also have an amazing collection of plants in the back with some really unique finds! Couldn't recommend going here enough, definitely one of my favorite places to window shop (or actually shop) in the city! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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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. read more

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! read more

Paxton Gate - Croton - Home Decor Near Me - San Francisco, California

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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! read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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 read more

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 read more