Dark and Disturbing Holiday Gift Ideas

As I'm currently conducting my own gift-shopping for the holidays, it got me thinking about the stores we have entries for at Dark Destinations. Here are some of the items/stores that have caught my eye (sometimes literally). Maybe you'll get some gift ideas for your favorite ghoul.

The Bone room has bats preserved and mounded in a Lucite covered frames. The Bone Room, as their name implies, also sells both animal and human bones. Yes, you can buy an actual human skull from this company and it is perfectly legal. They also have an excellent selection of preserved and mounted insects. A relative bought a gift for me from the Bone Room last year; a collection of large Asian beetles. They hang in a frame on the wall of my den. Click here to visit the Bone Room's entry at Dark Destinations.

Screams Ice Cream Parlor in Hell, Michigan offers a number of Hellish gifts, including making a loved one honorary Mayor of Hell for a day. The "Mayor" receives a set of devil horns, an official badge with their name on it, a written proclamation naming the recipient as Hell’s mayor for that particular day, a key to the town of Hell, a card signed by some of Hell’s residents, a T-shirt to let everyone know they were once the Mayor of Hell, and ownership of one square inch of Hell. On the day where they serve as Mayor, the recipient will also receive a series of calls with various problems in Hell that need their attention. During the course of their brief but hellish political career, the recipient will also have their name posted publicly as Mayor of Hell outside of Screams Ice Cream. Click here to learn more about shopping in Hell (beats going to the mall).

Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo in New Orleans offers a variety of Voodoo and Santeria items, including authentic Voodoo dolls and altars. They don't seem to have an online store, but they might do mail order if you call them. Click here to see our entry on this famous Voodoo shop.

Skulls Unlimited carries a selection of animal skeletons as well as recreations of fossil hominid skulls. They carry a selection of one-of-a-kind items that currently includes the skull of a deformed calf. Click here to learn more about Skulls Unlimited.

Here is a couple more locations that have interesting gift items available but aren't primarily retail businesses.

The National Museum of Funeral History offers some macabre gift items, including die-cast hearses. I might have played cars with the other boys more as a kid if I'd had a little hearse to play with. The museum also has a number of items with their inspiring motto "Any day above ground is a good one." Shop til you drop at the National Museum of Funeral History.

The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast offers vials of brick dust from the Borden house in their gift shop. They also carry Lizzie Borden skateboards, bobbleheads, hatchet-shaped jewelry and a moderate selection of Lizzie Borden books and apparel. Don't forget to axe Santa for something from the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast this Holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

-Tom G