Entry No. 64 — the Dallas file — filed under: haunted
The Velvet Coffin
Small macabre oddities shop packed with taxidermy, wet specimens, bones, and vintage medical curiosities in a gothic-but-welcoming space whose weekly-rotating inventory rewards repeat visits.
The story
If you drive down Boulevard 26 in Richland Hills looking for a haven of the macabre, you will probably miss it on the first pass. From the main road, the strip center looks like any ordinary Mid-Cities retail block. But walk around to the Willmans Street side of the building, and you will find the hidden entrance to The Velvet Coffin—a stark contrast of dark curiosities nestled quietly in suburban DFW.
Inside, the shop replaces commercial beige with a gothic aesthetic packed with bones, taxidermy, preserved wet specimens in glass jars, and vintage medical equipment. The inventory rotates on a weekly basis, meaning repeat visits yield entirely different specimens and artifacts rather than the same stale shelf stock.
For those who want more than passive browsing, the shop hosts ticketed, 18-and-over wet-specimen workshops. In these hands-on sessions, you learn the preservation process from start to finish, jar your own specimen, and walk away with a custom fluid specimen to display at home.
What it's like
Parking in the front lot on Boulevard 26 can make the building look completely lifeless, but the door is actually around the corner on the Willmans Street side. Inside, the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming rather than sterile or intense, allowing you to examine bone cases and fluid-filled jars without feeling rushed. Third-party map apps frequently misreport the store as closed, so ignore their listings and verify current hours directly on the shop's social media. Once you finish browsing, walk a block down Boulevard 26 to a local michoacana paleta shop to dissect your favorite finds over something cold.
The move: Browse the wet-specimen jars and bone cases together and each pick the one strange object you'd dare to display at home, then debate your choices over coffee nearby.
📍 Before you go It hides in a multi-tenant strip out in the Mid-Cities, closer to Fort Worth than Dallas proper, and the door is on the Willmans Street side of the building rather than the Boulevard 26 frontage — park in the lot and walk around if the front looks dead. Map apps have a history of marking it closed when it isn't, so trust the shop's own socials over third-party listings. The hands-on wet-specimen workshops (18+, you jar and keep your own) are ticketed events announced online, so book ahead rather than counting on a walk-in. A michoacana paleta shop a block down Boulevard 26 covers the post-browse debrief.
- 📍 Richland Hills
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 7410 Blvd 26, Suite P, Richland Hills, TX 76180
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Electric Starship Arcade — Jump less than three miles over to Haltom City to follow up your macabre browsing with over 140 classic and rare arcade cabinets.
- Higher Purpose Emporium & Apothecary — Continue your alternative retail run eight miles west at this low-profile, by-appointment metaphysical shop and apothecary.
- Top O' Hill Terrace — Pair your look at vintage curiosities with a trip seven miles southeast to explore the hidden escape tunnels of a former 1930s speakeasy.
Good to know
Where is the store's entrance located?
The shop is located at 7410 Boulevard 26 (Suite P), but the entrance faces the Willmans Street side of the strip building rather than Boulevard 26.
What kinds of oddities are available to buy?
The shop carries taxidermy, wet-specimen jars, skeletal bone displays, and vintage medical curiosities, with inventory rotating on a weekly basis.
How do I sign up for a wet-specimen workshop?
Workshops are 18+, ticketed events announced on the shop's website and social media channels. You must reserve a spot online in advance; walk-ins for workshops are not available.
Why does my map app say the shop is closed?
Third-party navigation apps have a history of falsely marking the shop as closed. Always check The Velvet Coffin's own social channels or website to confirm their current operating schedule.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · Facebook
last checked: 2026-06-09