Entry No. 2 — the Cincinnati file — filed under: witchy
Beardo's Curiosities
Packed into Northside's eclectic business district, this shop specializes in horror, oddities, framed bug specimens, uranium glass, skull mounts, and in-person tarot readings.
The story
Brad “Beardo” Hester started this enterprise doing something surprisingly patient: pinning insects by hand. A Cincinnati native with a penchant for the macabre, Hester spent years creating bug art and hunting down weird relics before opening a storefront under the slogan "Unique gifts for unusual souls." What began as a personal obsession with pinned beetles and bone fragments quickly expanded into a full-scale cabinet of curiosities.
Walk inside and you're surrounded by items that look like they were salvaged from an eccentric Victorian natural history store room. The inventory rotates constantly: taxidermy baboon mounts, full adult skunk wet specimens, alligator scutes, and octopus tentacles sit on shelves alongside glowing green uranium glass, vintage embalming tools, denture molds, and Aztec death whistles. You'll find horror memorabilia alongside human skull fragments and preserved ducklings.
Now anchored at 4174 Hamilton Avenue in Northside's bohemian commercial district, the shop goes beyond quiet browsing. Hester hosts hands-on specimen workshops where you can learn insect-pinning techniques on butterflies or death's-head hawkmoths, while in-house readers conduct tarot sessions in the space. You didn't hear it from us, but if you're looking to acquire something genuinely strange for your mantelpiece, this is where local collectors go.
What it's like
Stepping into 4174 Hamilton Avenue feels less like visiting a standard antique shop and more like exploring a tightly packed, unhinged natural history exhibit where everything carries a price tag. The floor space in Northside is dense, so take your time scanning the displays—it is easy to gloss over smaller items like vintage denture molds or wet specimens tucked behind large taxidermy mounts. Local forum regular tips suggest making a day of it along Hamilton Avenue's strip of independent storefronts, but confirm current operating hours before driving over; the shop generally operates Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The move: Pick up an Aztec death whistle or a framed death's-head hawkmoth, then check if an in-house reader is hosting tarot sessions.
- 📍 Northside
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 4174 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45223
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Dexter Mausoleum at Spring Grove Cemetery — Continue your macabre outing less than a mile down the road by exploring the Victorian grounds and Gothic flying buttresses of Spring Grove Cemetery's historic 1869 mausoleum.
- SpongeBob SquarePants Gravestones — Swap wet specimens and taxidermy for surreal cemetery pop culture at Spring Grove's pair of six-foot carved granite SpongeBob monuments.
- American Sign Museum — Trade the dim shelves of skull mounts and uranium glass for a glowing, neon-drenched simulated Main Street just down Hamilton Avenue in Camp Washington.
- Camp Washington Chili — Cap off your Northside oddities run with late-night Cincinnati chili at this retro 24-hour diner less than two miles away.
Good to know
What kind of items does Beardo's Curiosities sell?
The shop carries taxidermy mounts, human and animal bone specimens, wet specimens, framed insects, uranium glass, embalming tools, horror memorabilia, Aztec death whistles, and occult accessories.
Can I get a tarot reading at the shop?
Yes, Beardo's hosts in-person tarot readings, which can be booked in advance online or attended during scheduled reader sessions.
Does the shop host workshops or events?
Yes, Beardo's periodically offers hands-on insect pinning classes where participants learn to mount specimens like butterflies and death's-head hawkmoths.
What are the store's regular operating hours?
The physical storefront at 4174 Hamilton Avenue is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · citybeat.com · welcometonorthside.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21