Los Angeles, California: LA Coroners Office Gift Shop (Closed)

Los Angeles, among other things, is known for the unique and the bizarre. This gift shop belongs in this city. All of the regular gift shop items can be found here (clothing, magnets, doormats, even a Christmas ornament that doubles as a sun catcher!). The selection and the gift shop itself is on the small side. However, if you are looking for that one-of-a-kind gift, look no further. Whatever you pick up there is sure to be a conversation starter. Or a conversation ender.

Also, don't leave there without checking out and sitting in the ultra-cool coffin couch that is on display!

You definitely need a morbid twist to even stop in here. But I found everyone to be very nice inside and they had a good sense of humor about the whole thing. I even met the chief coroner, who took me and my friend into the back rooms for a disturbing-yet-awesome view into what goes on there (not for the weak stomach folk).

Never at a loss for dubious taste, the city of Los Angeles provides a gift shop whimsically called "Skeletons in the Closet" in a room off the main entrance of their staid, bland-looking government building on North Mission Road, just off the 101. Who says death has to be gloomy? While you're identifying the mortal remains of your dearly departed, why not pick up a souvenir or two?

They've got t-shirts, golf balls, and doormats emblazoned with a chalk-outlined corpse, dry cleaning bags that simulate body bags, even a Children's Corner (or is it Children's Coroner?). My only quibble is no mention of Quincy, TV's crusading L.A. medical examiner. I'd have gladly spent a few bucks for anything with Jack Klugman's face on it.

The gift shop may be tasteless but the proceeds do fund a program to educate youth about the dangers of drunk driving.

I just took a group of 8 high school kids on a three-day "Roadside America" fieldtrip based on your site and the tips page. Our route was from San Francisco down 101 to Los Angeles, then up via 14 to route 5 through Tehachapi back to SF. We're planning to make our own website at which point I'll write you again so you can check out our pictures and stories, but I wanted to write you specifically about how disturbed I am about the Los Angeles Coroners Office Gift Shop. I don't think it should be promoted by this site.

The gift shop doesn't open until 2pm, so we waited in the lobby. What we didn't expect was to share the same lobby with people who had just identified the remains of their loved-ones. A woman fainted while her children were crying, all while my students and I sat there waiting to get into the gift shop. Suddenly the whole trip seemed highly insensitive and in poor taste. The Office should AT LEAST have a separate entrance if they are to continue offering this shady shopping experience.

The LA County Coroner's Office has a macabre little gift shop called "Skeletons in the Closet" where they sell all kinds of goodies with the coroner's logo (t-shirts, mugs, coin banks). They also have fabulous beach towels with a chalk outline body and toe-tag key chains (which they will personalize with your name). Great little shop on the second floor of the coroner's office.