Entry No. 50 — the Denver file — filed under: haunted
The Terrorium Shop
Tucked into a little brick storefront in Berkeley, this is the place that makes 'terroriums' — living-plant terrariums grown around ethically foraged Colorado roadkill skulls and bones, so each dome is decay and regrowth happening at once. Beyond the signature pieces there are wet specimens, pinned insects, responsibly sourced skulls, crystals, and a DIY bench, plus hands-on classes in taxidermy preservation and entomology. Everything is collected post-mortem, never killed for the work. It's the kind of shop you stumble into and then struggle to describe to anyone afterward.
The story
Before opening on Yates Street, founders Amber Hage-Ali and Ian Johnson ran a basement operation built on an exchange of found natural oddities. Hage-Ali, a gardener who spent her childhood collecting dried flora, butterflies, and animal bones, met Johnson—a taxidermist—at a dive bar penny arcade in Manitou Springs. Instead of cut flowers, Johnson brought her animal bones he found while hiking in the Rockies. For their first holiday together in 2017, Hage-Ali built him a living terrarium rooted around a bleached skull. They dubbed it a 'terrorium'—a glass ecosystem pairing living botany with skeletal decay.
What started on their porch and at craft markets moved into a small brick storefront in Berkeley in May 2019. Inside, the shop processes bones using an in-house dermestid beetle colony, pins insects, prepares wet specimens, and crafts diaphonizations (transparent preserved specimens with stained skeletons). Everything in the store is sourced post-mortem, drawing from roadkill, natural die-offs at butterfly farms and reptile breeders, and specimens collected by animal control. Nothing is killed for the shop, leaving a rare intersection of strict ethical preservation, technical taxidermy, and living plant care.
What it's like
You will find the small brick shop tucked on Yates Street, one block west of the main Tennyson shopping strip. Inside, the floor plan is tight and lined shelf-to-ceiling with glass bell jars, potted house plants, framed pinned beetles, and liquid-filled specimen jars. The tight quarters mean weekend crowds can make browsing uncomfortable, so plan a weekday visit if you want time to examine the bone-and-botany arrangements without bumping elbows. If you book a taxidermy or entomology workshop, keep in mind that hands-on classes take place down the street at their separate Annex classroom rather than inside the retail shop, and spots sell out weeks in advance.
The move: Book one of the in-store taxidermy or entomology classes together and walk out with a pinned-insect frame or a bone-and-plant terrorium you built side by side — a date that doubles as a keepsake nobody else will have.
📍 Before you go It's a small brick storefront on Yates St, one block west of Tennyson Street — Berkeley's walkable shopping strip between 38th Ave and Berkeley Lake Park — so park on Tennyson or the side streets and wander over on foot. The shop is compact and can get tight, so a quieter weekday afternoon beats a weekend crowd if you want to browse the wet specimens and bones slowly. The hands-on taxidermy and entomology classes book separately and fill up, so reserve a spot well ahead rather than walking in. Pair it with coffee, a bookshop, or a brewery crawl along Tennyson, or a loop around Berkeley Lake Park.
- 📍 Berkeley
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 4416 Yates St, Denver, CO 80212 (Berkeley neighborhood)
Hours: Mon-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-6pm (per Yelp, updated 2026). Classes scheduled separately — check theterroriumshop.co for current class dates.
Pair it with
- The Terrorium Shop (Terrorium Annex classroom) — If you sign up for an insect-pinning or taxidermy workshop, your session will take place at this dedicated classroom space down the block rather than inside the main retail shop.
- Alley Brews — Walk half a block over to Tennyson and slip into the alley behind Ohana Yoga for a drink in a hidden, tucked-away bar space.
- Old Elitch Carousel Dome (with floor labyrinth) — Head a few blocks south down Tennyson to inspect the 12-sided 1926 carousel pavilion and its painted floor labyrinth.
- Historic Elitch Theatre — Walk down toward 38th and Tennyson to see the standing 1890 original theatre hall from Denver's early stage history.
Good to know
Where do the animal bones and specimens come from?
Everything is sourced post-mortem. The shop uses roadkill, natural die-offs from butterfly farms and reptile breeders, taxidermy studio remainders, and animal control collections. Nothing is killed for display or sale.
What is a terrorium?
It is a living-plant terrarium arranged inside a glass dome around ethically collected animal skulls and bones, displaying living greenery and natural decay in a single self-contained piece.
Where are the taxidermy and insect-pinning classes held?
Classes are held at the Terrorium Annex, a dedicated classroom space located a few blocks away from the main retail storefront on Yates Street.
How does parking work at the shop?
There is free street parking along Yates Street and neighboring side streets, or you can park along Tennyson Street and walk one block west.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · Westword · Official site · denvergazette.com · 303magazine.com · msmayhem.com
last checked: 2026-06-07