So the first week of school I was walking to the building I’m studying for my interior design studio, I decided to walk there instead of taking the subway or a taxi like I normally would. I am terrified of getting lost in the city by myself . The building I was looking for was close to a place I used to work so I knew a little bit about the area around it. As I was strolling along I came across the Evolution store. 
I began to walk past when I took a peak in; I saw incredible things, things I’ve never seen. From the street you would never think the inside would be like a museum. People were all crowded around the counters; there was everything from skulls, insects, crystals, and much more. The Evolution Store has been a landmark in Soho since 1993. They are the premiere destination for science, natural history artifacts, gifts and some collectibles. The store is a member of AAPS, which is the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, basically meaning they are an authorized scientific dealer. They are also licensed as a Non-transplant Anatomic bank. All the specimens are obtained from paleontologists, entomologists, anthropologists, and others who supply the museums and private collectors from all across the globe. The evolution store was actually just featured in Veranda magazine with a beautiful butterfly. I was so taken back by the beauty of these creatures I bought two myself when I was at the store only $3.00 if you buy them and mount them yourself. (It is definitely safe to say that I will be adding more to my collection soon) They have a mounting service there, but It can be quite pricey or you can do it yourself and the associates there give you all the directions how to. The average price range in the store can be anywhere from $1.00- $1,000. I purchased two butterflies and a porky pine quill, I learned so much about different animals while I was there. The people that work there do a great job on educating you about everything they have to offer.
This was the butterfly counter, where you could go through all the drawers and pick out any kind of butterfly you could ever imagine. As you can see you can buy them pre-framed or individually.
This is the counter when you first arrive in the store. At the top of the store you can see beautiful hand drawn and painted butterflies for sale. (Very expensive but I would love to own one). Then below in the cases were all stones, crystals, and rocks from all over the world made to be jewelry. Then on top which I thought was the coolest was a taxidermy penguin, at first I was very upset and asked one of the associates if they were harmed in the process and they told me the specimen are only taken after they have passed.
They even had rocks from Pompeii and insects from there also. I was always turned off to the sight of bugs even the thought of it, but after studying them and being educated more about the subject they became more beautiful than ever to me. This was the most exciting place I have ever been in New York thus far; I couldn’t wait to tell everyone I knew about it either. I guess it is safe to say that I will be exploring the city more often. Just on that street in soho they had so many incredible things, its a great area to explore and just walk around if you have some free time.
Xoxo
Kailee
http://theevolutionstore.com/