Entry No. 2 — the Seattle file — filed under: witchy
Tenzing Momo
The West Coast's oldest herbal apothecary, operating in Pike Place Market's Economy building since the 1970s, with apothecary jars holding hundreds of Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicinal herbs plus essential oils, incense, and tinctures. Beyond the herbs, it's a working divination space: resident psychics including Thunder Cloud and Faye Belle the Tattooed Psychic give tarot, palmistry, and astrology readings on site. The dim, wood-shelved interior feels like stepping into a 19th-century herbalist's shop hidden inside the tourist market.
The story
Tucked into the Economy Atrium of Pike Place Market—well below the noise of shouting fishmongers and tourist crowds jostling for flower bouquets—sits Tenzing Momo. Operating since the 1970s, it stands as the West Coast’s oldest and largest herbal apothecary and perfumery. Stepping through the doorway feels less like browsing a market hall and more like slipping into a 19th-century herbalist’s private sanctuary, where the air is thick with the resinous, earthy perfume of dragon's blood, frankincense, and dried sage.
The shop’s wood-shelved interior is packed with glass apothecary jars containing over 400 varieties of Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicinal herbs. Behind the counter, staff weigh and measure custom herbal preparations, tinctures, essential oils, and specialized fragrances like ambergris. It is a functioning working shop where you can request specific dried roots by weight or pick up hand-blended teas prepared on the spot.
Herbs are only half the operation, though. Tenzing Momo double-hats as an active divination space. In the quieter nooks near the back, resident psychics—including local market fixtures like Thunder Cloud and Faye Belle the Tattooed Psychic—offer walk-in and scheduled readings covering tarot, palmistry, and astrology. You didn't hear it from us, but while the rest of Pike Place trades in postcard souvenirs, this corner has spent four decades quietly answering locals' deeper questions.
What it's like
Look for the Economy Atrium entrance at 93 Pike Street rather than wandering the open-air produce arcades. Inside, the shop is compact, low-lit, and heavily scented, with narrow aisles flanked by crowded wooden shelves. It can feel tight when more than a few people are browsing, so target a weekday morning if you want time to discuss herbs with the staff without standing elbow-to-elbow. Psychic schedules change by the day; if you want a reading from a specific reader, double-check who is holding court before you arrive.
The move: Pick out incense and a hand-blended tea by the herb wall, then book a tarot or palmistry reading with one of the resident psychics in the back.
📍 Before you go Inside Pike Place Market's Economy Atrium; reader availability varies by day, so confirm reading hours before going.
- 📍 Pike Place Market, Seattle
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 93 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Gum Wall — A few steps away in the market's lower alley, you can balance an elevated herbal outing with one of Seattle's grime-meets-art public landmarks.
- Olfactory House — Continue your scent-focused afternoon by heading down toward the waterfront for custom fragrance formulating at this nearby atelier.
- Ye Olde Curiosity Shop — Head down to Pier 54 to trade herbal divination for historic oddities, taxidermy, and mummies at Seattle's oldest curiosities museum.
- Bathtub Gin & Co. — Cap off a day of tarot readings and dry herbs with a drink inside a subterranean former boiler room tucked down a Belltown alley.
Good to know
Where inside Pike Place Market is Tenzing Momo located?
You'll find it at 93 Pike Street, nestled inside the Market's Economy Building (Economy Atrium).
What products does Tenzing Momo carry?
They stock over 400 varieties of Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic dried herbs, along with hand-blended teas, tinctures, essential oils, incense, and specialty fragrance oils.
How do psychic readings work at the shop?
Resident psychics offer tarot, palmistry, and astrology readings on-site toward the back of the store. Readers vary by day, so availability depends on who is scheduled.
How long has Tenzing Momo been around?
The shop opened in the 1970s and has been operating continuously in Pike Place Market for over four decades, earning its title as the West Coast's oldest apothecary.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · pikeplacemarket.org · Yelp · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-24