Paxton Gate
Best Curiosity Shop in San Francisco · CA
Curiously mind-expanding treasures and oddities on Valencia Street.
Paxton Gate has been San Francisco's cabinet of curiosities since 1992, a Valencia Street shop once described as "Martha Stewart meets David Lynch." Inside its Mission storefront: ethically sourced taxidermy, framed insects and butterflies, fossils, minerals, carnivorous plants and elegant garden tools — a treasury of the strange and beautiful.
A beloved Mission institution for more than 30 years, Paxton Gate is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Curiosity Shop in San Francisco.
What they're known for
- Ethically sourced taxidermy
- Framed insects, fossils & minerals
- Carnivorous plants & oddities
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Curiosity Shop in San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
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This page is the standing record for Paxton Gate (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
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If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.