Maxilla and Mandible (CLOSED)

Since opening in 1984, this cramped curiosity shop has served as the nearby American Museum of Natural History’s unofficial (and much cooler) gift store—why settle for a plastic model dinosaur when you can buy a real Megalodon fossil tooth ($12–$200) here? Though Maxilla once dealt exclusively in ancient skeletons—owner Henry Galiano is a paleontologist who operates a dinosaur quarry in Wyoming—the merch has since expanded to include all science-related ephemera, including taxidermy, mounted entomology and seashells. There’s also a dedicated counter for the kind of jewelry that tomboys can appreciate (along the lines of beetle wing earrings and stingray bracelets) and plenty of cheap thrills, including a Cricket Lick-it insect-encased lollipops ($5) and syringe pens ($2).