Entry No. 3 — the Pittsburgh file — filed under: haunted
The Weeping Glass
This morbidly macabre oddities shop in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood is part curiosity shop and part dark event space. It regularly hosts 'Afterlife Anatomy' taxidermy and preservation workshops where you can learn the delicate, strange art of mounting squirrels, jackalopes, or creating shadow box displays.
The story
The 1903 building at 746 East Warrington Avenue has old bones, and the team behind The Weeping Glass knows how to work with them. Operating as Pittsburgh’s original oddity and curiosity shop, the space doesn't treat death or the bizarre as a cheap seasonal gimmick. It operates as part carefully curated cabinet of curiosities and part dark event hub where preservation is treated as an art form.
Browse the shelves and you'll find formalin-fixed specimens, folk magic tools, esoterica, vintage antiques, books, ephemera, and parlour teas. But the venue's real draw happens during its hands-on 'Afterlife Anatomy' workshops. Instead of just looking at specimens through glass, you can sit down and learn the traditional, beginner-friendly mechanics of taxidermy—working directly with ethically sourced animals to mount your own squirrel, jackalope, or shadow box display.
If a afternoon surrounded by wet specimens isn't enough, you don't even have to leave when they lock up. Directly above the retail space sits The Weary Traveler, a gloomy Airbnb suite outfitted as an extension of the shop's aesthetic. You didn't hear it from us, but spending the night upstairs is about as close as you can get to sleeping inside a private 19th-century natural history collection.
What it's like
Stepping inside means trading the street noise of Allentown for a dim, textured space that smells faintly of tea, incense, and old paper. Take your time searching the displays; the inventory of wet specimens, strange art, and esoterica is dense. If you book an Afterlife Anatomy workshop, prepare for a hands-on, methodical session using actual skinning and mounting tools under quiet instruction. The retail shop generally runs afternoon-to-evening hours from Wednesday through Friday, but schedules shift around special events and classes, so double-check their current availability before heading out.
The move: Sign up for a hands-on 'Afterlife Anatomy' workshop to learn the traditional, beginner-friendly techniques of taxidermy together, working with ethically sourced specimens to create your own custom-mounted squirrel or jackalope.
- 📍 Allentown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 746 E Warrington Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15210
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Allentown Night Market — Located just down the block, this bi-annual street market brings out local taxidermists, occult vendors, and sideshow performers right on Warrington Avenue.
- Hocus Pocus — Cross the river into Oakland to visit Pittsburgh's oldest operating occult shop for a complementary dose of dimly lit, hearth-style metaphysical goods.
- Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History — Head to the Northside to match the shop's cabinet-of-curiosities vibe with a deep dive into 19th-century daguerreotypes and vintage cameras.
Good to know
What happens in an 'Afterlife Anatomy' workshop?
Instructors guide you through beginner-friendly taxidermy and preservation techniques using ethically sourced specimens. You'll learn how to skin, preserve, mount, or shadow-box animals like squirrels or jackalopes to take home.
Can you actually stay overnight above the shop?
Yes. The shop owners run an Airbnb apartment called 'The Weary Traveler' directly above the store, decorated in the same gloomy, macabre aesthetic as the main floor.
What kind of items does The Weeping Glass sell?
The shop carries a mix of formalin-fixed specimens, folk magic and esoterica supplies, antiques, books, macabre art, ephemera, apparel, and specialized parlour teas.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · pghcitypaper.com · verylocal.com · Facebook
last checked: 2026-07-21