Entry No. 3 — the Baltimore file — filed under: witchy
Bazaar Baltimore
This legendary Hampden oddities shop is a haven for the strange and unusual, hosting rare, hands-on taxidermy and insect-pinning workshops taught by visiting experts. The classes use ethically sourced specimens that would otherwise be discarded.
The story
Stepping into Bazaar on Chestnut Avenue feels like entering a private, meticulously cataloged sanctuary for the morbidly inclined. Rather than leaning into cheap Halloween kitsch, this Hampden storefront treats dark natural history with serious focus. The shelves hold preserved biological curiosities alongside house-formulated oddities—like 'Overgrown Cemetery' soy candles infused with notes of fresh dirt, grass, and mushrooms, or unisex colognes named 'Asylum' that mimic the aroma of musky decay, rust, wet cement, and faint medical antiseptic.
The true draw, however, happens when they clear the counters for hands-on workshops taught by visiting specialists like Gotham Taxidermy. In these small-group sessions, you can spend hours constructing a custom spreading board to pin the iridescent wings of a Sunset Moth into a shadowbox, or commit a full Sunday to skinning, stuffing, and posing a rat from scratch. Every biological specimen used in these classes is ethically sourced—salvaged from discarded stock or natural deaths that would otherwise end up burned or buried in landfill.
What it's like
The shop itself is compact, atmospheric, and smells faintly of earth, beeswax, and dried botanicals. If you visit on a weekday, check the clock first—Wednesday hours are squeezed into a narrow two-hour window (4:00 PM to 6:00 PM). For those attending a workshop, bring a steady hand and leave your favorite long-sleeved clothes at home; working with preservation tools and delicate insect specimens requires close, careful focus.
The move: Sign up for a beginner's class to build a custom spreading board and delicately pin a vibrant Sunset Moth, then mount your morbid masterpiece in a shadowbox to take home.
- 📍 Hampden
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3534 Chestnut Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Witch Board Museum Baltimore — Head directly upstairs from Bazaar to dive into the hyper-specific local history of talking boards in the city where the Ouija board was patented.
- Crystals, Candles, & Cauldrons — Walk two blocks down Chestnut Avenue to transition from preserved physical specimens to ritual tools, herbs, and metaphysical supplies.
- W.C. Harlan — Head into neighboring Remington afterward for speakeasy cocktails in a dimly lit room that shares Bazaar's fondness for antique taxidermy and dark aesthetics.
- Bmore Hot Metal — If delicate specimen crafting gave you a taste for hands-on work, head over to Woodberry to shape scalding steel over an anvil.
Good to know
What kinds of workshops does Bazaar Baltimore offer?
They host beginner-friendly preservation workshops, including insect-pinning classes focused on mounting specimens like Sunset Moths and full-day rat taxidermy workshops led by visiting experts.
Are the taxidermy animals and insects ethically sourced?
Yes. All specimens used in their classes are ethically sourced from natural deaths or biological materials that would otherwise be discarded.
What are Bazaar's regular shop hours?
They are open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. They are closed on Tuesdays.
What non-specimen items do they sell?
They sell custom scent products like dirt-and-mushroom candles, niche colognes, gothic home items, esoteric books, and occult curiosities.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · gothamtaxidermy.com
last checked: 2026-07-21