Avondale—a former industrial corridor on Chicago’s northwest side that was recently named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world by Time Out—is home to some of the city’s hottest bars, galleries, restaurants and businesses. We’d like to add yet another feather to Avondale’s proverbial cap: The best neighborhood for all things spooky, scary and witchy.
From insect museums and gothic tea shops to horror-themed cafés and memorabilia stores, Avondale has no shortage of businesses vending all things strange and unusual. Just in time for Halloween, here’s your guide to Avondale’s most spellbinding businesses.
The Brewed
2843 N Milwaukee Ave
Named in homage to David Cronenberg’s body horror film The Brood, the Brewed is every horror lover’s dream—and perhaps everyone else’s nightmare. More museum than coffee shop, it’s crowded with massive movie posters and curio cabinets overflowing with tchotchkes and collectibles. The Brewed’s menu features cheeky themed drinks like the “Leland Palmer” and “Firestarter,” along with grab-and-go bites and treats from local confectioner Bad Channel, which crafts macarons inspired by horror movies. The café’s pièce de résistance, though, is the mural painted on the shop’s northwest wall: a pink art nouveau number recreating the lobby of the dance academy featured in Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977). To celebrate spooky season, The Brewed will be hosting a Halloween Block Party on Sunday, October 12 from 11am to 8pm.
Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records
3182 N Elston Ave
Where in the city will you find a Garbage Pail Kids tarot card deck, a mint condition Deftones record and a BluRay copy of Strangers With Candy all within arm’s reach? Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records is the only answer. Opened in 2010, Bucket O’ Blood houses one of the city’s most impressive collections of niche vinyl records, books, comics and movies, specializing in genres of the darker persuasion. A particularly delightful bonus: Bucket O’ Blood is just a stone’s throw away from the original (read: best) Kuma’s Corner location, which means you can chow down on a Mastodon burger after picking up a copy of Crack the Skye.
The Horror House
2842 N Milwaukee Ave
Co-owned by brothers Moses Gibson and Vinny Malave and their friend Aaron Gaston, the Horror House has been a family affair since 2022. Along with posters, apparel, and comic books, the shop is stocked with niche (mostly) horror items, like handmade monster masks, John Candy-man T-shirts and Danny Devito fanny packs (“Fanny Devito”) that must be seen to be believed. The Horror House also hosts film screenings on its patio during the warmer months and meet-and-greets with genre icons throughout the year. Stay in the know via the Horror House’s Instagram.
Into the Feral
2914 W Belmont Ave
After working as an art director for two decades, Nicole Picou fell in love with the art and craft of herbalism, mixing small batches of tarot-inspired blends under the moniker the Feral Herbalist for several years. In 2023, she turned her hobby into a full-time vocation by opening Into the Feral, a home goods and apothecary shop where she sells her handmade tea blends, along with candles, jewelry and other talismans sourced from a coterie of vendors. Into the Feral is more than a store: It’s also an event space where visitors can learn cyanotype printing, herbal spell crafting and more in a welcoming community of nature lovers and self-proclaimed witches. Into the Feral is celebrating its two-year anniversary on October 5 with an in-store party from 5 to 8pm.
The Insect Asylum
2870 N Milwaukee Ave
Kitty corner to the Brewed is the Insect Asylum, a nonprofit taxidermy and insect museum stocked with a collection of more than 2,500 specimens collected by founder Nina Salem. Through specimens, interactive exhibits and a hands-on showroom, the Insect Asylum celebrates bugs’ critical role in our ecosystem. Along with its stockpile of skeletons, the Insect Asylum also regularly hosts events, including bone jewelry making workshops, cicada pinning classes and paint-and-sip sessions.