From the rare to the absurd!™
We are the store that looks and feels like a museum!
Trading in Oddities, Curiosities, Natural History, and Century Decor™
Distinct prop rentals for the film and television industry
About the Cabinet
Cabinet of Curiosities is a retail gallery and prop house in Hamilton, Ontario, dealing in oddities, curiosities, natural history, medical and scientific antiques, ephemera, and the beautifully macabre. From the rare to the absurd, it’s one of Canada’s most unusual places to explore — a modern wunderkammer where every shelf holds something with a story.
The Curator
The Cabinet is the work of Mark Draak, who has spent years hunting, curating, and researching the pieces that fill the shop. Each object is chosen — and documented — with an eye for its history and significance, not just its strangeness. It’s that knowledge, as much as the collection itself, that sets the Cabinet apart.
Everyone has an origin story… even me
“It started with the Hardy Boys…” that’s the response that always comes to mind when people ask me “how did you ever get into this?”. A fascination with treasure and ghosts that’s evolved over a lifetime. Years ago, during an interview, the phrase “HomeSense through the eyes of Stephen King” was born, something that still resonates today.
The shop defies any current trends in retail and is consistently described as a museum. The difference being is that ‘here, if you can’t live without it, you don’t have to’. The primary collections are in Natural History, Victorian Taxidermy, 19th Century Medicine or ‘Quack’ Medicine, Funeral Arts, Victorian Photography and Ephemera, Tribal Artifacts, True Crime, World Treasures, and a myriad of eclectic often historically significant Victorian Antiques. We feature signature pieces from the Billy Jamieson collection, star of History Channel’s Treasure Trader; historical pieces from the Niagara Falls Museum, the longest operating private museum in North America; FX pieces from the personal collection of Gord Smith, special effects master known for his award winning work including the X-Men franchise!
In addition to being an outrageous retail store, the Cabinet of Curiosities is also becoming a staple for the film and television industry. We can almost guarantee you’ve seen glimpses of the Cabinet in your favourite shows on Netflix and Prime! Come see why productions routinely call upon the Cabinet to create their alternate realities!
With respect to the local arts community the Cabinet has always extended our unique environment and inventory to aspiring film makers, artists, photographers and videographers. Being able to offer a unique location and props that help add intrigue and character to any production is a rewarding experience. It’s our way of giving back to a community that celebrates creativity and inspiration. Be different!
— Mark Draak, Curator
A place people remember
Visitors have described the shop as stepping inside the mind of a Victorian collector — part natural history museum, part apothecary, part something stranger. Over the years it has drawn collectors, artists, photographers, and filmmakers from across the country and beyond, and its pieces have found their way onto screens in numerous film and television productions.
Among its visitors: internationally known filmmakers and set decorators, who have sourced pieces here for productions shot across Ontario and beyond.
“Incredible! Like a trip down Diagon Alley!”
“Disney with a dark twist”
“HomeSense through the eyes of Stephen King”™
Visit
341 Ottawa Street North, Hamilton, Ontario.
For current hours and to get in touch, see our Contact page.