Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

Category:	Souvenir Store
Address:	1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
Phone:	+1 206-682-5844
Site:	yeoldecuriosityshop.com
Rating:	4.2
Working:	10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 19

Craig Turpin

Ive always been a fan of curiosity shops like this but Ye Olde Curiosity Shop is hands down the coolest one Ive ever seen. It puts those hokey places at Niagara Falls to shame. There are literally too many items hanging on the walls, ceilings, strewn on the floor and behind the counters to process in one trip. Its also usually full of visitors so its hard to work your way around the shop without bumping into people left and right. Some of the more interesting things to see are located in the front left and far back and to the right. Be sure to look up and look all around because you dont want to miss a single shocking site amongst the many relics & chochkies everywhere! Dont forget to stop by Ivars while youre down at the wharf.

Julie Frame

A true Seattle institution. Classic and creepy, a mix of Seattle souvenirs, old-timey slot machines and sideshow relics preserved for your viewing pleasure. Sylvester the Mummy, a two headed calf, and the Medical Ed head all staring back at us from behind plexiglass. The place is beautifully positioned on the pier 54. It moved just one storefront closer to the water in January 2016. As I have visited this shop in its various locations over the years, each time I have gotten a strange sense that it may be slightly haunted. This time was no exception. I put a quarter in the Jolly Jack machine. The sailor hat-wearing, cigarette-dangling, rosy-cheeked mannequin (with a fly on its nose) cackled the ENTIRE duration of our 30-minute visit!

Abigail Young

Kitschy and crowded, a great tourist trap... but with a couple of genuinely interesting displays (the "Curiosity" section) to one side of the shop. If youre looking for some Northwestern trinkets or baubles to take home on a plane, this would be a great place to purchase them, but Seattle locals will likely not be very interested. Also has its fair share of Kikkerland and Archie McPhee amusements, so general advice is to take the local art or jewelry, and get everything else online. Of particular note to local amateur historians: this shop has a collection of matted historic photo prints of places in the Washington area, very well done and inexpensive.

Emma Johnson

Love this place! Theres lots to look at in a museum-y setting for free. They have an ample variety of souvenirs for everyone on your list, and they have homemade fudge and candied nuts (that you can get free samples of before you make your decision of which flavour you get. I suggest the tiger butter. Yummy.) This is a must stop for anyone visiting Seattle. Um, warning, I guess. There are real mummies and weird taxidermy everywhere. Have fun!

Tim Simon

This is not just a store, it is a tourist attraction. They have all kinds of curiosities on display from shrunken heads and mummies to whale vertebrae. If you are looking for an unusual gift, this is the place to find it. They have everything from native American art to large spiders encased in glass. As a young child, this was where I always wanted to go on my birthday--an 8 year old boy wanting to go shopping, that has to be an endorsement.

joshua iszler

I dont know how old the kid was that was working the counter he look like he was 12, he said it was his first day. But that kid definitely does not need any kind of customer service training because he was phenomenal. The place was packed because it was a rainy day so there was lots of people wandering around and not really buying anything and this kid was amazing! I may have slipped him my business card.

Nicholas Kasse

Ive always loved going to the Ye Older Curiousity Shop. Love the new layout. Gives Sylvester and Sylvia (the mummies) a larger display case complete with detailed descriptions. They also added three penny pressers, each with three designs. I was disappointed when the design was way off, but when I asked for a cash refund the cashier couldnt be nicer. Also love the beautiful totem poles.

Chris Stines

Worth a trip to see the the shrunken head, but dont be fooled, this is one small interesting display case at the very BACK of a tourist trap gift shop. You have to swim through a sea of merchandise to see the heads. Not a good spot to take kids. Its flipped the museum and museum gift store paradigm around. All gift store with one art display.

Matt Uhlman

Great tourist trap that has been a stop for the past 100 years! Whenever we wander in, it almost assured well consider buying something, but often just end up perusing for an extended period to time. The must seen for any true sightseer or oddities extraordinaire is the "Whale Oosik" - Google it! Well worth your time and effort to check out.

Kyrtin Atreides

This is one of the strangest and creepiest gift shops Ive ever seen, with a handful of old style candies to satisfy those with less morbid curiosity. An assortment of shiny things, skeletons, and a mummy also line the walls of this little waterfront shop, and it is worth 5 of 10 minutes of your wandering time if you find yourself in the area.

Hayden Turner

This place is flat out amazing!! If your looking for something odd and out of the ordinary this is the place. Almost everything there you cant find anywhere else its. Got stuff from mummies to spatulas and everything in between. Including sculptures on rice grains and the worlds smallest hand writing.

Dirk Mitchell

Kind of a tourist trap but then again I love it because I remember going here as a kid. Cool to see some of the old artifacts on the walls and in the cases but unless you have a lot of money for the cool stuff there are just a lot of tourist trinkets. Still a good place to visit.

Patty Alba

This place was FUN!! EVERYTHING u can think of is in the shop! Need a street sign with Jrs name on it or a t - shirt for Grandpa, how bout Space Needle key chains for your co workers? Well, theyre all there. If your hungry, go next door for fried oysters!

Joe Katon

A glorified gift shop with some curiosities inside. I question how much of their curiosities are real vs. gaffs (things made to look like the real thing). It was ok and probably worth the stop for the kids. I would not get too caught up in it though.

kenny ricks

It is a great little trinket shop that does not disappoint when it comes to the macabre. It has a really interesting selection of human remains, including shrunken heads. It would be a great, quick stop if you pass along the boardwalk in Seattle.

Jessica Howard

As crowded and busy as I remember it being as a kid. All sorts of weird things inside like mummies and other antiquities as well as tourist trinkets. Very narrow walkways and packed with stuff. The fudge shop inside is delicious. Mmm.

Joe McDonald

Just as the name suggests has everything your curiosity could desire. Its a great place for kids to browse and adults too. They have two mummies on display. I think this place has been on Ripleys Believe It or Not the old TV show.

Tanner Mc

As a local, I find that this store definitely has declined with time. If you are a tourist you definitely need to drop in, but the cramped quarters and campy offerings may turn you away. Go here if you are looking for souvenirs.

Troy Windhorst

Caught in limbo between a convenience store and gift shop, this century old shop is a Pier 54 staple and is definitely a must for any souvenir seeker. Its not the biggest, but it will satisfy your deepest curiosities!