Curious Nature in downtown Phoenix bills itself as a “fine science and natural history emporium for all things fantastic and strange.” You can say that again.

In his three years on the scene, Mason Conway has assembled a wondrous walk-in cabinet of curiosities, full of exotic vintage taxidermy, skulls and bones (including human remains), quack Victorian medical devices, creepy crawlies in jars, and necklaces fashioned from butterfly wings. While some of the decor suits a dark arts aesthetic, there are many pieces that wouldn’t look out of place in a Design Sponge shoot. Natural selenite lamps glow like rocks chiseled from the walls of Emerald City. Cement candle holders are cool and minimalist. Plus, Conway (a former vet tech… and goth kid) is just a really nice dude, full of great suggestions for local food and drink.

5032 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ; 602-314-4346.