Entry No. 8 — the Sacramento file — filed under: witchy
The Altar Room
Founder Shasta Smith — previously known for running Vintage Monkey, an archive of antique motorcycles, and hosting a design-and-history cable show — turned this storefront into a self-described 'cabinet of curiosities': rare occult books, an actual pagan altar for sale, antique altar tools, natural-history specimens, and a primitive apothecary, open to shoppers exactly one day a week.
The story
Shasta Smith used to spend her days restoring vintage motorcycles at her shop, Vintage Monkey, and hosting history-and-design television shows. Then she turned her eye for rare, heavily aged craftsmanship toward something considerably darker, converting Suite 6 of a 65th Street strip into a quiet, meticulously constructed cabinet of curiosities.
The Altar Room operates as a design gallery for forgotten ritual objects rather than a standard oddities shop. Smith applies the same archivist discipline she used on mid-century engines to antique altar implements, rare occult volumes, natural-history specimens, and primitive apothecary jars. You can even purchase complete pagan altars assembled inside the space.
The shop doesn't rely on constant foot traffic to exist. Instead, it functions as an event venue, holding workshops, private gatherings, and off-site events like the Mystique Market held inside the historic Sacramento City Cemetery.
What it's like
Show up to 3045 65th Street on a Saturday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.—the primary window each week the space opens its doors for walk-in shopping. Inside Suite 6, commercial fluorescent light gives way to a dark, museum-caliber room where every glass jar, taxidermy element, and worn book spine sits with exact intent. It is a compact space, so take your time examining the walls. Ask questions about the provenance of the altar tools; the background on these pieces is often far more detailed than what fits on a tag. Double-check their schedule online before heading out, as weekend hours can shift around private events.
The move: Show up on a Saturday between 11am-5pm, the only hours it's open to the public, and work the room together — rare occult books on one wall, apothecary jars and old-world altar tools on another. It also rents out as an event/gallery space and runs classes, so ask what's coming up and make a return date of it.
- 📍 Tahoe Park, Sacramento
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3045 65th Street, Suite 6, Sacramento, CA 95820
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Museum of Medical History — Trade primitive apothecary jars and occult texts for 19th-century medical instruments and valley healthcare artifacts just two miles away.
- Botanica Cubayende — Pair pagan altar tools with a visit to a working Santería storefront stocked with Orisha crowns, saint statues, and clay vessels.
- East Lawn Memorial Park — Continue the quiet, historic atmosphere with a stroll through East Sacramento's 1904 cemetery less than two miles away.
Good to know
When is The Altar Room open to public shoppers?
Public access is limited to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outside those hours, the storefront operates as a private event space, workshop location, and design gallery.
What kind of items are for sale?
The shop stocks rare occult and esoteric books, natural history specimens, old-world altar tools, primitive apothecary items, and full pagan altars.
Who owns and curates the shop?
The space was founded by Shasta Smith, a designer and builder known for running the motorcycle archive Vintage Monkey and host of historical design TV programming.
Does The Altar Room host events elsewhere in Sacramento?
Yes, they organize public gatherings in the city, including the Mystique Market, an artisan and oddities market staged inside the historic Sacramento City Cemetery.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · insidesacramento.com
last checked: 2026-07-20