Entry No. 11 — the Spokane file — filed under: haunted
Petunia & Loomis
Owners Samantha and Jesse McCauley run what they bill as Spokane's only year-round creeptown: a downtown Howard Street shop packed with taxidermy, wet specimens floating in jars, mummified animal heads, antique dolls, bones, spell books and tarot decks. The wet specimens and mummifications are made in-house from ethically sourced animals that died naturally, including diaphonized rodents and vintage dolls topped with the dehydrated, mummified heads of raccoons and alligators. The couple moved to this larger storefront between Boo Radley's and Atticus in late 2024, then weathered two floods and held a grand re-launch in 2025 with room for tarot classes, bug-pinning workshops, creepy crafting clubs and small concerts.
The story
Samantha and Jesse McCauley first launched Spokane's self-billed year-round creeptown inside the Paulsen Center in early 2022 before dragging their jarred organs down Howard Street in late 2024. They dropped anchor right between downtown mainstays Boo Radley’s and Atticus, expanded into a larger floorplan, survived back-to-back shop floods, and re-launched in 2025 with room to spare for dark workshops.
The McCauleys do much of their preservation work in-house using ethically sourced animals that died of natural causes. That means you are looking at genuine diaphonized rodents—specimens rendered clear with their skeletal systems stained vivid colors—alongside vintage porcelain dolls topped with the dehydrated, mummified heads of raccoons and alligators. It feels less like an antique store and more like an eccentric natural history lab where nothing goes to waste.
The roomier Howard Street location unlocked space for hands-on gatherings. Beyond shelves stocked with skulls, bone bundles, tarot decks, and spell books, the shop hosts bug-pinning classes, tarot instruction, creepy crafting club meetups, small live concerts, and seasonal drop-ins like free holiday photo ops with Krampus.
What it's like
Step off Howard Street into a floor-to-ceiling cabinet of dark curiosities that smells faintly of dried herbs and wood. Glass jars filled with translucent floating specimens line the perimeter, while skull-headed dolls stare down from open shelving. The vibe is quiet, curious, and remarkably welcoming for a place full of dead things. If you want a blind draw, grab a brown-paper mystery box stuffed with cleaned bones and skulls to unbox at home. The aisles can get tight during weekend workshops and seasonal events, so aim for a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon if you want to inspect jarred specimens without jostling elbows.
The move: Browse the jarred wet specimens and mummified oddities together, then split a mystery box stuffed with skulls and bones to take home.
📍 Before you go Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; hours run roughly 11am-6pm Wed-Sat and noon-5pm Sun. Call 509-498-0259 to confirm, as hours shift seasonally.
- 📍 Spokane
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 224 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Boo Radley's — They sit right next door to each other on Howard Street, making it effortless to pivot from taxidermy and bones directly into vintage novelty toys.
- Cease & Desist Book Club — Follow up an afternoon of browsing spell books and skull jars with a quiet cocktail hidden behind a swinging bookcase down the block.
- Spokane Ghost Tours (Two Dog City Tours / Chet Caskey) — Pair physical oddities and preserved specimens with a walking tour exploring downtown Spokane's dark history and local hauntings.
Good to know
Where do they get the preserved animals?
All wet specimens and mummifications prepared in-house use ethically sourced animals that died of natural causes.
What kinds of events do they hold?
They host hands-on bug-pinning workshops, tarot classes, creepy crafting clubs, intimate concerts, and seasonal gatherings like Krampus photo sessions.
What are the shop's hours?
They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours typically run 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call 509-498-0259 to verify before visiting, as hours shift seasonally.
What comes in the mystery boxes?
Their mystery boxes are curated grab-bag sets packed with assortment of real animal skulls, cleaned bones, and miscellaneous macabre oddities.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · inlander.com · spokesman.com · kxly.com · spokanejournal.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-24