13 Surprising Places to Find Taxidermy

A crocodile hangs from the rafters of an old church. Packs of taxidermy dogs sit politely in the main hall of a castle. In an eclectic shop in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, a duck with bat wings and a turtle pushing a stroller stand out from the crowd.

While we might expect to see taxidermy dioramas in natural history museums, they’re not the only place for animals preserved after death to leave their everlasting mark. Steakhouses, extermination shops, and libraries are all home to traditional taxidermy pieces, as well as cryptids and hybrids like “rat birds” and “pigeon sharks.” Step out of the Smithsonian and into these 13 unexpected spots stuffed with taxidermy.