Entry No. 13 — the Seattle file — filed under: oddities
Ye Olde Curiosity Shop
Founded in 1899 and run by the same family for five generations, this is the oldest surviving oddities museum-store in America. Sylvester, an Arizona-desert mummy whose body scans revealed traces of arsenic embalming, lies in a glass case near a second mummy nicknamed Sylvia, and the shop claims more genuine shrunken heads on display than anywhere outside Ecuador. Deformed-animal taxidermy (a two-headed lamb, an eight-legged pig) and curio-cabinet weirdness fill every wall between the souvenir racks.
The story
Stepping into Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on Pier 54 is a weird exercise in cognitive dissonance. Founded in 1899 and operated by the same family for five generations, it holds the title of America's oldest surviving oddities museum-store. On the surface, it looks like a standard waterfront souvenir shop selling plush salmon, shot glasses, and rain slickers. But look above the racks, and you are staring into a 19th-century cabinet of curiosities that never quite shut its doors.
The real draw here is preserved human remains and biological oddities. Glass cases hold Sylvester, an Arizona desert mummy whose preserved tissues were later revealed by scans to contain traces of arsenic embalming fluid. Nearby rests Sylvia, a second mummy, alongside a display of shrunken heads—a collection the shop claims is larger than any other genuine display outside Ecuador.
Look higher up toward the rafters and wall niches to spot the taxidermy oddities. Between the novelty keychains and postcards, you will find genuine deformed-animal specimens, including a two-headed lamb and an eight-legged pig, suspended above the floor exactly where the founder's family put them over a century ago.
What it's like
You will step off Alaskan Way into a packed retail space that smells faintly of salt air and vintage paper. Navigating the shop means dodging tour groups arguing over magnets while you press your face against glass cases to examine century-old mummies. Weekend afternoons bring heavy foot traffic from the pier, so aim for a drizzly weekday morning if you want to inspect the taxidermy in peace. Viewing the curiosities costs nothing, though you might end up leaving with a paper boat of fish and chips from the neighboring stand on Pier 54.
The move: Pay your respects to Sylvester the mummy, then split a paper boat of fish and chips from the pier next door.
- 📍 Downtown Waterfront, Seattle
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1001 Alaskan Way, Pier 54, Seattle, WA 98104
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Bill Speidel's Underground Tour — Walk five minutes south into Pioneer Square to explore the buried 19th-century streetscapes left behind after the Great Fire of 1889.
- Christopher Marley: Exquisite Creatures — Trade Ye Olde Curiosity Shop's cluttered Victorian taxidermy for sleek, obsessively symmetrical insect and specimen art just down the waterfront.
- Tenzing Momo — Head north toward Pike Place Market to browse floor-to-ceiling apothecary jars at the West Coast's oldest herbal shop.
- The Gum Wall — Follow up Sylvester and the shrunken heads with a visit to Pike Place Market's notoriously sticky outdoor alleyway.
Good to know
Do you need a ticket to view the oddities?
No, access is completely free. The museum displays are built directly into the open retail shop floor on Pier 54.
What is the story behind Sylvester the mummy?
Sylvester was discovered in the Arizona desert, naturally dehydrated and preserved, though subsequent CT scans revealed traces of arsenic embalming fluid in his tissues.
How long has Ye Olde Curiosity Shop been in business?
It was established in 1899 and has been continuously run by five generations of the same founding family on Seattle's waterfront.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Roadside America · Yelp · Atlas Obscura · Official site · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-24