Entry No. 7 — the Minneapolis file — filed under: oddities
Twelve Vultures
Run by collector Adam DeJarlais, this eccentrically curated curiosity shop feels like a mini-museum, packed with ethically sourced taxidermy, mammal skeletons, ostrich eggs, and antique industrial furnishings.
The story
Step off East Hennepin and you enter something that feels far less like a standard Twin Cities retail store and much more like the private quarters of a 19th-century naturalist. Run by curator and habitual collector Adam DeJarlais, Twelve Vultures is a dense, meticulously arranged curiosity shop packed wall-to-wall with natural history relics, antique industrial salvage, and specimen displays.
The room centers on a sprawling, unexpected inventory: a full-sized taxidermy lion anchors the floor, surrounded by glass cases of bleached mammal skeletons, preserved wet specimens floating in glass jars, ostrich eggs, and drawers of antique glass eyes. DeJarlais sources his taxidermy and skeletal remains ethically, turning a passion for the macabre into an accessible, physical cabinet of curiosities where nearly every strange relic carries a price tag.
What it's like
Expect a tight, quiet room where you'll want to watch your elbows around delicate glassware and bone mounts. The shop operates on a limited schedule—typically open Thursday through the weekend—so double-check their current doors-open status before heading to Northeast Minneapolis. Treat the visit like an unguided museum tour where you can actually buy the exhibits, and don't hesitate to ask DeJarlais about the backstories behind the stranger pieces.
The move: Wander through the shop to admire the bizarre natural history displays, then challenge each other to find the most unusual specimen, like a preserved wet specimen or an antique glass eye.
- 📍 Northeast Minneapolis
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 507 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Beltrami Park — Continue the neighborhood's morbid history tour by walking seven blocks east to a park sitting over 3,700 19th-century graves.
- Rogue Buddha Gallery — Match DeJarlais' physical natural history oddities with Nicholas Harper's dark pop-surrealist art gallery less than a mile north.
- Watershed Spa — Balance out browsing bone displays with a neon-lit, seven-part subterranean soak half a mile away in Marcy-Holmes.
Good to know
What can you actually buy at Twelve Vultures?
The shop sells ethically sourced taxidermy, mammal skeletons, wet specimens, butterfly mounts, ostrich eggs, antique glass eyes, and vintage industrial furniture.
Where is Twelve Vultures located and when is it open?
You'll find it at 507 E Hennepin Ave in Northeast Minneapolis. Hours are typically limited to Thursday through Sunday afternoons, so check their schedule before you go.
Is the taxidermy ethically sourced?
Yes, Adam DeJarlais specifically focuses on ethically sourced natural history items, vintage taxidermy, and antique specimens.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · Yelp
last checked: 2026-07-21