1

The Purple Store – Online (with a location at Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA)

The Purple Store does exactly one thing: it sells purple items. Every single thing in the store is purple . Shirts, socks, kitchen appliances, furniture, jewelry, dog collars, dice, cowboy hats—if it exists and can be purple, The Purple Store has it.

This is the store for the person in your life who is very, very serious about their favorite color, or for anyone who finds the concept of a store with a strictly enforced color policy absolutely hilarious and also kind of admirable.

2

The Museum of Bad Art Store: Somerville, MA

The Museum of Bad Art exists to celebrate paintings that tried hard, fell short, and ended up magnificent for entirely the wrong reasons. The gift shop sells prints, books, and merchandise built around the museum's collection of gloriously terrible masterpieces .

Nobody here is embarrassed: the art is bad, everyone knows it, and that's precisely the point. This is the store for people who believe that effort deserves recognition regardless of outcome, and for anyone who has ever hung a painting in their living room that wasn't quite right and left it there for fifteen years anyway.

3

Marty's Reliable Cycle: Westfield, NJ

Operating since 1946, Marty's Reliable Cycle is the kind of place that shouldn't still exist but absolutely does. It's famous nationwide not just for its vintage bicycle inventory, but for its ceiling-to-floor stacks of cycling memorabilia, spare parts, and decades of accumulated everything that give it the feel of a very organized avalanche.

Walking in feels like stepping into a time capsule where someone hit pause around 1978. Cyclists make pilgrimages here. If you're passing through New Jersey and remotely enjoy bicycles, nostalgia, or both, it's worth the detour.

4

The Sock Drawer: Providence, RI

The Sock Drawer is devoted entirely to novelty and compression socks in every pattern, theme, and level of absurdity imaginable . Cats riding tacos. Flaming hot dogs. Historical figures on argyle. If you can think of it, there’s a good chance The Sock Drawer already has it in stock.

What makes it more than a joke is that it also carries medical-grade compression socks for people who need them, meaning you can solve a circulation problem and walk out with a pair of socks featuring a screaming eagle at the exact same time.

5

Archie McPhee: Seattle, WA

Archie McPhee has been selling rubber chickens, bacon-scented soap, canned unicorn meat, and inflatable Stonehenge for decades, and it shows no signs of slowing down or becoming even slightly more sensible. It is the undisputed gold standard of American novelty shops: the place other weird stores aspire to be when they grow up .

The genius of Archie McPhee is that everything is absurd, but nothing feels accidental. Someone sat down, thought very carefully about what the world needed, and concluded the answer was a horse head mask and a bag of dismembered gummy bears. They were right, and the store has the loyal following to prove it.

6

Wall Drug: Wall, SD

Wall Drug started as a modest drugstore in 1931 in the middle of South Dakota and somehow became one of the most aggressively advertised destinations in America. Signs for it appear thousands of miles away, and the complex has grown to fill an entire block with shops, exhibits, animatronic dinosaurs, and attractions that resist easy categorization. A five-cent cup of coffee is still on the menu.

Nobody drives to Wall Drug because they need something. They go because the signs wore them down over five straight states and they finally gave in. Once inside, the sheer scale of the thing (part store, part roadside attraction, part collective hallucination) becomes impressive.

7

Possumbilities: Fredericksburg, VA

Possumbilities is a gift shop, wildlife education center, and opossum advocacy organization all rolled into one cheerfully strange package. Run by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator named Karen Brace, the store sells opossum-themed merchandise —plushies, mugs, apparel, hand-crocheted baby opossum figures— and features live opossum ambassadors on-site Thursday through Monday.

This is the store for anyone who has ever been told that opossums are ugly and gross and wants to argue the point. Imagine stopping in Fredericksburg on a road trip, wandering into what looks like a small gift shop, and coming face-to-face with a real, live opossum named Stuart. That is a story you'll tell at every barbecue for the rest of your life.

8

Unclaimed Baggage: Scottsboro, AL

Unclaimed Baggage is exactly what it sounds like : a store that buys luggage that airlines have given up on reuniting with its owners—after a full three-month search—and sells the contents to the public . Items are cleaned, tested, appraised, and priced at up to 80% below retail value. New inventory arrives daily, because bags are lost daily.

Over the years, the store has turned up a NASA Space Shuttle camera, an Egyptian burial mask from around 1500 BC, a live rattlesnake, and a puppet from the Jim Henson film Labyrinth . The everyday inventory includes designer clothes, electronics, jewelry, and sporting goods, but the real draw is the promise that you have no idea what you'll find.

9

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop: Seattle, WA

Ye Olde Curiosity Shop has been operating on Seattle's waterfront since 1899 and in that time has assembled a collection of genuine mummies, shrunken heads, narwhal tusks, and oddities that blur the line between souvenir shop and sideshow attraction. You can buy a snow globe or stand two feet from an actual mummified human body.

It’s the kind of place that would be impossible to open today and which survives partly on reputation, and partly on morbid curiosity.

10

The Mütter Museum Store: Philadelphia, PA

The Mütter Museum is a medical history museum housing anatomical specimens, preserved human remains, and things in jars that no one entirely expects to find in downtown Philadelphia . Its gift shop sells anatomical models, medical curiosity replicas, and books that somehow make the whole experience feel educational and gift-able rather than deeply alarming—most of the time.

You can buy a soap shaped like a human brain, a replica Civil War surgical kit, or a calendar featuring unusual medical case studies from the 1800s. It's oddly tasteful given the subject matter, and the store has developed a devoted following.

1

Meryl Streep

Image: Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0

We’ll begin with a modern icon. Since her start in stage plays in 1975, Meryl Streep has completely risen to stardom, to the point of being considered by many as the very best actress of her generation.

Streep holds the distinct honor of being the most nominated actress for an Academy Award in history, with 21 nominations and 3 wins. Some of her most memorable performances include Sophie's Choice , Kramer vs. Kramer , and The Bridges of Madison County .

2

Marilyn Monroe

Image: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0

What more can be said about the "Blonde Bombshell" that hasn’t been said before? Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, Marilyn Monroe is definitively one of America’s most famous pop icons. There’s a good reason why legendary pop artist Andy Warhol decided to immortalize her with a series of paintings: Marilyn not only perfectly encapsulates Hollywood in the '50s but also serves as a great representation of how the world sees the American dream.

Monroe’s first on-screen appearance dates back to 1947, when she briefly appeared as a waitress. Nobody knew that this small role would be followed by an extremely profitable career, which included classics like Some Like It Hot , The Seven Year Itch , and The Misfits .

3

Grace Kelly

Image: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0

Many of the actresses on this list are considered Hollywood royalty, but only Grace Kelly holds the honor of being an actual princess. However, while her marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco was truly a spectacular moment, we shouldn’t overlook the incredible career of this amazingly talented actress.

After a number of small roles, Kelly first achieved stardom with her performance in John Ford's 1953 film Mogambo , for which she was nominated for her first Academy Award. That being said, perhaps her most iconic roles are the numerous Hitchcock films she appeared in, including such classics as Dial M for Murder , Rear Window , and To Catch a Thief .

4

Judy Garland

Image: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0

Sometimes actresses and actors are typecast after a particularly amazing role: Carrie Fisher will always be Princess Leia, Anthony Hopkins will always be Hannibal Lecter, and Judy Garland will always be remembered as the brave Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz . And while this role truly cemented Garland as an undisputed American icon, there’s so much more to this amazing actress's career.

Garland’s incredible voice and acting chops skyrocketed her to fame from an early age. One year before portraying Dorothy, she starred alongside Mickey Rooney in the 1938 film Love Finds Andy Hardy . As an adult, she received Oscar nominations for such iconic films as A Star Is Born and Judgment at Nuremberg .

5

Elizabeth Taylor

Image: photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0

If there’s one thing that you probably remember about Elizabeth Taylor , it’s those hauntingly beautiful eyes of hers: They were a gorgeous blue that almost seemed to shift into a unique shade of violet under the right light. Regardless, this amazing American actress is still remembered as one of Hollywood’s most iconic legends.

Elizabeth Taylor’s many acting roles are too many to count, so we’ll leave you with a few of our favorites: two film adaptations of Tennessee Williams’ plays, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly, Last Summer , and her performance as the Queen of the Nile herself in the 1961 film Cleopatra .

6

Katharine Hepburn

Image: Volha Kudzina

Throughout her nearly sixty-year career, Katharine Hepburn amassed an impressive number of awards and accolades. Critics and fans alike adored the outspokenness, independence, and freedom that she brought to her characters. It seems only natural that her amazing talent earned her 4 Academy Awards for Best Actress, a record she holds to this day.

Born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Hepburn started acting during her college years. After a very successful run on Broadway, she gained international fame after Hollywood discovered her. Her third film, Morning Glory , earned Hepburn her very first Academy Award.

7

Ginger Rogers

Image: Kyle Head

It should go without saying that all the actresses on this list have multiple talents, including singing and dancing. However, it would be a safe bet to state that Ginger Rogers , Fred Astaire’s most beloved dance partner, is the very best dancer on this list (which is definitely saying something).

Born in Independence, Missouri, but raised in Kansas City, Rogers began her career in a vaudeville act at the age of 14. In the 1930s, she met her perfect partner in crime, Fred Astaire. From 1933 to 1939, the duo starred in 9 iconic films, which completely revolutionized the Hollywood musical genre.

8

Julia Roberts

Image: David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0

Julia Roberts became an instantly recognizable icon in the ‘90s, starring in such classics as Steel Magnolias , Pretty Woman , and My Best Friend’s Wedding . However, it wasn’t until the start of the new millennium that she earned her first well-deserved Academy Award, when she played the paralegal-turned-environmental activist in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich .

Nowadays, Roberts continues to shine on the silver screen. The 21st century saw her starring in films like Ocean's Eleven and Eat Pray Love . Not only that, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2014 for her performance in the 2014 TV film The Normal Heart .

9

Whoopi Goldberg

Image: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0

Caryn Elaine Johnson, known to the world as Whoopi Goldberg , is undeniably a jack of all trades. She is an Academy Award-winning actress, received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor for her work as a comedian, and is also a TV personality who entertains millions of American homes every day.

Whoopi first rose to prominence for her wonderful performance in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film The Color Purple , for which she received a Golden Globe for Best Actress. That first recognition was quickly followed by a myriad of awards, including an Academy Award for Ghost and an Emmy for hosting the TV show The View .

10

Rita Hayworth

Image: photo by Alan Light, CC BY 2.0

Just like Judy Garland, many people know Rita Hayworth as "Gilda," a nickname she earned after starring in the titular 1946 film. However, there’s so much more this actress contributed to Hollywood throughout her spectacular career, so we decided to honor her life and work with this final entry.

Born Margarita Carmen Cansino, Rita was already a professional dancer by age 12, performing on stage with her father, who was also a dancer. By the time she was in her early 20s, she had already taken the world by storm, becoming one of the most profitable actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

1

Grizzly Bear

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

Grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) are one of the most famous North American mammals, but do you know why they are called that? The grizzly bear is a subspecies of the brown bear. However, although grizzlies are mostly brown, their fur can appear white-tipped or grizzled , which explains their name.

The grizzly bear once lived throughout much of the North American West. Unfortunately, the arrival of Europeans gradually drove it from its original habitat, considerably reducing its population. In 1975, they were listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and much has been done since then to protect the species. Today, grizzlies can still be found in parts of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and the Alaskan wilderness. They are also one of the most iconic residents of Yellowstone National Park.

2

Gray Wolf

Image: Yannick Menard

We all know that wolves are legendary for their eerie howl, but there are many other interesting facts about this peculiar animal. Gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) are the largest members of the dog family and are native to North America and Eurasia. The size of an adult gray wolf is similar to that of an average dog and it can weigh up to 145 pounds. However, their tracks would outshine those of any dog, as they measure about 5 inches long by 4 inches wide.

Wolves live and hunt in packs of 6 to 10 animals. They are known to travel great distances, even covering 30 miles in a single day. In the United States, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, although some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Today gray wolves can be found in areas such as the Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the northern Rocky Mountains region, and the northwest.

3

North American River Otter

Image: lovelooking

The North American River Otter ( Lontra canadensis ) is a species of semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammal endemic to the North American continent that can be found along the coasts and rivers of the United States and Canada. Because they are very susceptible to environmental pollution, their population has been reduced considerably in recent years.

It is a mostly nocturnal animal, often seen at dusk or dawn. During the day it takes refuge in burrows with an underwater entrance that leads to a nest chamber lined with plant material and hair. North American River Otters are robust (11 to 31 pounds) and feed on fish and other aquatic prey, such as turtles, frogs, and crabs.

4

Red Fox

Image: Jeremy Hynes

The red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) is a species of mammal in the canid family. It is the most abundant fox species in the northern hemisphere and can be found in many national parks across the country. As its name suggests, its fur is reddish in color. The tips of the ears and the ends of the legs, however, are black. They have a bushy tail whose tip is usually white, as is their belly.

Although classified as a carnivore, the red fox is actually an omnivore and, above all, a great opportunist. They are astute, have excellent eyesight, and have a keen sense of smell and hearing. They can hunt prey of a wide variety of sizes, from insects and worms to small mammals, birds, and fish. They also feed on certain vegetables, berries, and fruits.

5

Mountain Lion

Image: Robert Sachowski

The cougar ( Puma concolor ), also known as the mountain lion, is a mammal native to the Americas. These large, tan cats are found from the Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes Mountains and Patagonia in South America. In the United States, mountain lions can be found mainly in the western part of the country. However, because of their solitary nature and constant threats from humans, it is difficult to estimate exact population numbers.

Mountain lions are slender and agile felines that can adapt to different conditions and environments. They are strict carnivores and have extraordinary vision and acute hearing, which allows them to capture almost any animal, from insects to squirrels, beavers, elk, and deer.

6

North American Beaver

Image: kidmoses

Beavers are known to be one of the only animals that can affect the ecosystem around them, building watertight dams that help preserve water in streams and rivers. The North American beaver ( Castor canadensis ) is the largest rodent in North America and one of the largest in the world —it can weigh between 24 and 71 pounds! The species is widely distributed throughout the continent, from northern Canada to northern Mexico.

The North American beaver's coat can range from dark brown to reddish brown, and its most distinctive feature, a flattened paddle-shaped tail, allows it to swim. It is perfectly adapted to semi-aquatic life; its ears and nose have valves that close when submerged, and it can close its lips behind its prominent incisors to cut wood underwater.

7

Hawaiian Monk Seal

Image: Sebastian Coman Travel

The Hawaiian Monk Seal ( Neomonachus schauinslandi ) is a species native to the Hawaiian Islands. With its friendly face and long whiskers, it is perhaps one of the most endearing mammals that can be found in our country. Unfortunately, this seal species is endangered because of the large amount of chemical waste produced by the fishing industry on the reefs and beaches of the northern Pacific Ocean.

The Hawaiian Monk Seal is usually solitary but is always seen accompanied by other specimens. It is known to be piscivorous, that is, it feeds mainly on fish and other marine creatures, such as crustaceans and some species of mollusks. Since it is a predator by nature, when hunting it makes the most of its length (approximately 7 feet) and its large body (between 300 to 600 lb) to catch its prey.

8

American Red Squirrel

Image: Rusty Watson

The American red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) lives in the United States and much of Canada. It is a rodent mammal easily recognized for its deep reddish fur, long bushy tail, and prominent lower teeth. It can be differentiated from other North American squirrel species because of its smaller size, 11 to 14 inches.

American red squirrels normally live in the shady areas of coniferous forests and are primarily granivores. They feed on seeds, pine cones, nuts, fruit, and occasionally insects, eggs, and birds. It is mainly active in trees but also swims freely, using its tail as a rudder to change its direction.

9

Elk

Image: Judy Beth Morris

Elk ( Cervus canadensis ), also known as wapiti in several Native American cultures, is a species of deer that lives in North America, Central and East Asia. Today, most elk in our country are found primarily in the West, especially in mountainous regions such as Wyoming's National Elk Refuge and Yellowstone National Park. Some eastern states have also reintroduced small herds into natural forest areas.

The most prominent feature of elks is their massive antlers. Each March they shed their antlers, which begin to grow back in May to be ready for the breeding season in late summer. During this time the bellowing of the males echoes through the mountains, announcing the violent battles that serve to decide who mates with whom. The males with the largest antlers, usually the oldest, often win these duels and get to dominate the herd.

10

American Bison

Image: Stephen Leonardi

The American bison is a true symbol of American identity. Not only is it the largest mammal in North America, it is also the national mammal of the United States. In addition, it's one of the greatest conservation success stories of all time.

In prehistoric times, there were millions of specimens of American bison ( Bison bison ) roaming our territory. But by the late 19th century, there were only a few hundred left. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of several organizations and individuals, the species was reintroduced and today it can be found in a few national parks and reserves as well as in the wild.