Entry No. 6 — the Wichita file — filed under: witchy
La Vie Bohème Apothecary & Curiosity Shoppe
A tiny apothecary-and-curiosity shoppe tucked into the Douglas Design District, stocked with herbs, resins, altar supplies, crystals, tarot decks and esoteric books. Beyond retail it runs recurring hands-on classes including broom making and book binding, plus tarot, Reiki and birth-chart readings.
The story
You won't find this place by scanning Douglas Avenue for a big streetfront sign. To reach La Vie Bohème, you have to step into Clifton Square—a clustered warren of historic 19th-century cottages—and follow the courtyard paths until you locate Suite 50A. Inside, the tightly packed footprint functions as a working apothecary and occult repository, stocking raw herbs, resins, crystal specimens, and altar supplies alongside hand-bound spellwork guides and esoteric texts.
The shop operates as both a supply depot for local practitioners and an educational space for folk traditions. Rather than stocking generic gifts, the calendar revolves around tactile skills like broom making, book binding, and seasonal ritual crafts such as oil lamp assembly. Between workshop sessions, staff and local readers offer on-site tarot readings, Reiki work, and individual birth-chart breakdowns.
What it's like
Expect a heavily scented, compact interior where space is at an absolute premium. The narrow aisles require careful stepping around botanical jars, crystal trays, and tarot decks. Weekend afternoons get cramped quickly, making weekday visits far better if you want room to inspect ingredients or consult with staff. If you plan to take a workshop or book a reading, reserve your slot online well in advance—the small square footage means seating caps out fast.
The move: Sign up together for the recurring broom-making workshop, then poke through the curiosity shelves and book a back-to-back tarot reading to compare notes on each other's cards.
📍 Before you go The shop sits inside Clifton Square (sometimes Clifton Square Village), a cluster of historic cottage-style buildings off East Douglas that's been turned into a warren of small shops and eateries in the Douglas Design District. Look for the suite number rather than a street-front sign; you'll wind through the little courtyard village to reach it, and there's a shared lot on site. It's a small space, so quieter weekday afternoons tend to beat busy weekends for browsing or chatting with staff. Classes and readings run on their own schedule and fill up, so reserve ahead. Dempsey's Burger Pub, in the same complex, makes an easy pairing.
- 📍 Douglas Design District
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3700 E Douglas Ave Suite 50A, Wichita, KS 67208
Hours: Hours vary; confirm class schedule via their site/Instagram before going
Pair it with
- Skeletons Out of the Closet — Follow up your apothecary trip with a four-block walk down Douglas to inspect skull art and upcycled oddities.
- Highland Cemetery (Wichita's abandoned pioneer cemetery) — Head a mile north after your visit for a quiet walk through Wichita's oldest and most neglected pioneer burial ground.
- Fragrance Fusion — Continue your botanical sourcing less than a mile down the road by blending your own custom essential oils.
Good to know
How do I find the shop inside Clifton Square?
Park in the complex lot at 3700 E Douglas Ave and walk into the central cottage courtyard. Look for Suite 50A tucked inside the village structure rather than on the main road.
What kinds of workshops take place here?
Recurring hands-on sessions include traditional broom making, book binding, and seasonal occult craft workshops like oil-lamp crafting.
Do I need reservations for readings and classes?
Yes. While you can walk in to shop retail herbs and curios, classes and individual tarot, Reiki, or birth-chart sessions require advance booking due to space constraints.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: laviebohemeict.com · Yelp · explorewithcassie.com
last checked: 2026-06-06