The Terrorium Shop in Denver, Colorado
The Terrorium Shop is a quaint hidden gem tucked away in Denver, Colorado.
What started out as a strange little hobby, blossomed into a business after owner Amber Hage-Ali gifted her partner Ian Johnson with one of her “terroriums,” a glass vessel showcasing a skull with living plants. Johnson, a taxidermist, loved the concept of combining life and death into one artistic vessel. He pushed Hage-Ali to share it with the world. Together they combined their skills to create these quirky creations and sold them at various little markets.
What started out as a small booth at local craft markets in 2017, blossomed into a brick and mortar the following year.
The shop showcases handmade “preserved mini-worlds,” unique dome displays featuring animal bones, preserved reptiles, and pinned insects. The shop contains a well-curated collection of planters, a few that even feature bones.
The terroriums are a play on the modern terrarium, and are designed to invoke a macabre feeling. The terroriums combine skulls with living plants to showcase the magical process of decay and regrowth. Visitors to the shop will find other oddities such as wet specimens, taxidermy, and pinned butterflies. They also offer in-store classes in taxidermy, entomology, and plant education.
All curiosities found inside are sourced responsibly.
