Entry No. 14 — the Dallas file — filed under: oddities

Pinned Ptera

An ethical insect-taxidermy studio-shop run by Morgan and Micah Loftin, with a neon sign and a goal of building an indoor Victorian-style glass conservatory of pinned butterflies, moths, scorpions and walking sticks — all farm-raised, none wild-caught.

The move: Pick out a framed butterfly or moth specimen together as a piece of art for a shared wall, or catch them at the Denton Community Market and choose insects as a couple.

📍 Before you go There's no walk-in storefront here: the work lives wherever the Loftins set it, so go where it shows rather than hunting for a shop near Mulberry Street. A standing installation sits inside the coffee-and-tea bar at Kava Culture, browsable whenever that plant bar is open. The easiest weekend catch is the outdoor Denton Community Market, which runs seasonally — think warm months and Saturday mornings — so save it for good weather. Hands-on pinning workshops pop up at The Bearded Monk and tend to book ahead, and market specimens are one-of-a-kind, so a piece you love won't be there twice. The walkable Denton Square nearby pairs naturally afterward.

• 📍 Denton (off Mulberry Street)
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Indoors

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: texasmonthly.com · localdenton.com

last checked: 2026-06-06