Entry No. 125 — the Denver file — filed under: witchy
Wood Shark Trading Company
Founded in 2002 by Jim Corey and now run by his son Matt, Wood Shark Trading Company packs crystals, incense, Buddha statues, swords, knives, taxidermy, and genuine oddities into a single family-owned stall inside the Outlets at Castle Rock — a chaotic, deeply weird cabinet of curiosities in an otherwise ordinary outlet mall. Yelp shows it active as of March 2026.
The story
You don't expect to find a chaotic cabinet of curiosities sandwiched between corporate retail storefronts along I-25. In 2002, Jim Corey started Wood Shark Trading Company as a modest venture selling knives out of a tiny 3-by-3-foot shadow box. Over the decades, Jim and his son Matt grew that display case into a full storefront stall inside the open-air Outlets at Castle Rock, packing thousands of strange, contrasting goods into a single family-owned space.
The shop operates on a deliberate collision between two very different worlds. On one side, you'll find polished crystal towers, sterling silver gemstone jewelry, Hampstead teas, and incense stacked beside seated Buddha statues. Turn around, and taxidermy pelts, animal skulls, pocket knives, and full-sized display swords line the shelves and walls.
What keeps Wood Shark compelling isn't just the jarring inventory—it's the family's completely straight-faced enthusiasm for everything in the room. Whether you ask about the metaphysical properties of a raw mineral or want to talk steel grades on a folding blade, the staff treats both sides of the aisle with identical seriousness. You didn't hear it from us, but stepping into this crammed stall feels like slipping into an underground collector's vault right in the middle of outlet mall monotony.
What it's like
Navigate to the open-air Outlets at Castle Rock off I-25, park free in the surrounding lots, and check a directory map to track down Unit 42 among the clothing outlets. The stall is tight and family-run, which means weekend afternoons get crowded fast and aisles become narrow navigating around other shoppers. Visit on a calm weekday morning or during a cooler evening stroll to take your time browsing. Prepare to wander floor-to-ceiling stacks crammed with everything from sage bundles and figurines to mounted taxidermy and cutlery.
The move: Browse the jumbled inventory together and pick one item each from opposite ends of the spectrum — say, a crystal for one partner and a blade or taxidermy piece for the other — then compare the staff's equally enthusiastic explanations for both; the contrast between metaphysical earnestness and knife-nerd enthusiasm makes for a genuinely memorable hour.
📍 Before you go You'll find it inside the Outlets at Castle Rock, the open-air outlet mall just off I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs; exit at Castle Rock, park free in the lots, then hunt for the stall tucked among the name-brand shops (a directory map helps, since a cabinet of curiosities is the last thing you expect here). Because the mall is open-air, a mild day or an evening stroll beats a baking summer afternoon. It's one small family-run booth, so weekends get crowded and stock turns over; hours follow the mall and shift seasonally, so check ahead. Pair it with downtown Castle Rock and the Rock landmark nearby.
- 📍 Castle Rock
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5050 Factory Shops Blvd, Castle Rock, CO 80108 (Outlets at Castle Rock)
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- B&B Cafe — After sifting through blades and crystals at Wood Shark, head three miles down to Castle Rock's historic core for a diner meal at B&B Cafe, where 1946 bullet holes still mark the ceiling.
- Provision — Pair your outlet oddities hunt with a craft cocktail three miles away at Provision, hidden behind a swinging bookcase on Wilcox Street.
- Scileppi's at the Old Stone Church — Follow a trip through Wood Shark's metaphysical stacks with pasta inside an 1888 former Catholic stone church three miles south.
- Cherokee Ranch & Castle — Extend your outing of offbeat regional spots with a five-minute drive west to tour a 15th-century-style Scottish stone castle standing over the Colorado prairie.
Good to know
Where inside the Outlets at Castle Rock is Wood Shark located?
It sits inside the open-air mall complex at 5050 Factory Shops Blvd in Unit 42, positioned right alongside the brand-name outlet shops.
What kind of inventory can I actually buy here?
The shelves hold crystals, gemstone towers, sterling silver jewelry, incense, tea, Buddha figurines, pocket knives, swords, taxidermy skulls, and animal furs.
Who owns and operates the store?
The store was founded in 2002 by Jim Corey and is run today as a family business alongside his son Matt.
Are the taxidermy and animal items ethically sourced?
Yes, Wood Shark specifically notes that its taxidermy, skulls, and fur products are ethically sourced.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · outletsatcastlerock.com · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-07