Entry No. 12 — the Seattle file — filed under: oddities
Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop
A dense Ballard Avenue shop sorted into categories like human osteology, diaphonized (cleared-and-stained) specimens, sea life, and bones and skulls. A two-headed calf holds court as a display-only piece that isn't for sale, and the taxidermy includes a raccoon frozen mid-gesture flipping the bird. Antique dolls and uranium-glazed dishes round out the haul.
The story
You have to duck down a flight of stairs on Ballard Avenue to find it. While the street level trades in polished storefronts and farm-table dining, the subterranean space at 5333 Ballard Ave NW has been operating since 2015 as a cross between a Victorian cabinet of curiosities and a natural history backroom.
The inventory is far from random junk-drawer scrap. The shop sorts its haul into specific, almost academic categories: human osteology, antique medical tools, sea life, vintage photography, and glass jars of diaphonized specimens—small creatures chemically cleared of muscle tissue so their stained skeletons glow neon pink and blue under light. Tables of green-tinged uranium glass and ranks of antique dolls keep watch from the corners.
You can buy plenty here, but you won't be taking the main attraction home. A taxidermy two-headed calf holds court as a permanent, display-only mascot, positioned not far from a taxidermy raccoon forever frozen flipping the bird at passing browsers. It’s a place that treats genuine biological oddities and forgotten history with dry precision rather than roadside gimmickry.
What it's like
You descend straight off the Ballard Avenue sidewalk into a dense, dim basement packed wall-to-wall with glass cases and bone-lined shelves. The vibe inside is quiet and focused, with visitors shuffling down narrow aisles in near-reverence. Keep your elbows in around the fragile glassware cases, and take your time at the specimen jars—the diaphonized creatures reveal intricate skeletal structures you'll miss if you just glance and pass.
The move: Find the diaphonized specimens together and try to guess what each glowing, see-through creature used to be.
- 📍 Ballard, Seattle
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5333 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Seattle Metaphysical Library — Pair your dive into bones and specimen jars with a quiet search through 16,000 esoteric texts just two blocks away.
- Fire Horse Forge — Trade peering at preserved relics in glass display cases for forging red-hot carbon steel in a Ballard bladesmithing studio.
- Add-a-Ball Amusements — Balance the quiet, subterranean intensity of Ballyhoo with a trip down another flight of stairs into a nearby Fremont pinball arcade.
Good to know
Is everything inside Ballyhoo Curiosity Shop actually for sale?
Most items carry a price tag, but a few key centerpieces—most notably the shop's iconic two-headed calf—are permanent display-only relics.
What are the diaphonized specimens in the jars?
Diaphonization is a specialized laboratory process where tissue is rendered transparent using enzymes, while specific dyes stain the bones and cartilage in vivid neon colors.
How do you locate the shop on Ballard Avenue?
Look for the entryway and sign at 5333 Ballard Ave NW, then follow the staircase down below street level into the basement space.
Are the bone displays and animal specimens real?
Yes. The store specializes in genuine natural history items, including authentic animal skulls, sea life, taxidermy, and real human osteology.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · seattlemet.com · Yelp · Atlas Obscura
last checked: 2026-06-24