Entry No. 2 — the Raleigh file — filed under: oddities
401 Tattoo & Antiquities (Crowzeye Oddities)
Operating inside a local tattoo shop, this local secret functions as Wake County's primary brick-and-mortar oddities vault. Owner Jimmy Bissette curates a dark cabinet of curiosities stocked with animal skulls, wet specimens, taxidermy, and macabre vintage antiques.
The story
Pull up to 706 North Main Street in Fuquay-Varina and you'd be forgiven for assuming it's just another storefront tattoo shop. Step through the doors of 401 Tattoo & Arts, however, and you'll find yourself standing in Wake County's primary brick-and-mortar oddities vault: Crowzeye Oddities.
Run by owner Jimmy Bissette—who also hosts the regional Ancient Arts Festival—the shop operates as a dense, dark cabinet of curiosities sharing real estate with buzzing tattoo needles. Bissette hand-curates a dense collection of macabre antiquities, ranging from real ram skulls and taxidermy mounts to preserved insect art, wet specimens suspended in jars, and rare, strange books.
What it's like
You’re browsing shelves packed with bones, pickled natural history, and vintage macabre decor while artists work on clients just a few feet away. The space is compact and intimate, so take your time scanning the display boxes where the smallest wet specimens and strange trinkets hide. Because the shop runs within a working tattoo studio, always confirm their current door hours before making the trip down from Raleigh.
The move: Browse real ram skulls, taxidermy mounts, and preserved insect art, then walk down Main Street to Aviator SmokeHouse for local barbecue and craft beers.
- 📍 Fuquay-Varina
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 706 N Main St, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Ben Harris Metal Sculptures — Just three miles away in Fuquay-Varina, swap cabinet taxidermy for giant welded metal dinosaurs and futuristic figures in a roadside folk-art yard.
- The Holy Rose — Head into downtown Raleigh afterward to transition from animal bones and wet specimens to esoteric witchcraft, occult books, and hand-blended magic oils.
- Dorothea Dix Hospital Cemetery — Pair your morning spent looking at preserved natural history with a quiet walk through this secluded 19th-century psychiatric hospital burial ground in Raleigh.
Good to know
Is Crowzeye Oddities its own separate store?
No, it functions inside 401 Tattoo & Arts—you'll find the oddities cabinet sharing space directly with the tattoo studio at 706 N Main St.
What kinds of items are available for purchase?
The inventory regularly features animal skulls (including ram skulls), wet specimens in glass jars, taxidermy mounts, framed insect art, macabre vintage antiques, and rare books.
Who runs the shop?
The oddities shop is curated by Jimmy Bissette, who also operates the tattoo studio and hosts the regional Ancient Arts Festival.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Facebook · Reddit · Instagram
last checked: 2026-07-21