If you like to treasure hunt, there are countless options in Minnesota to find rusty gold.  Hot Sam’s in Lakeville is a fun one for the picker in us all, and antique-junkies know to head to hotspots like Crosby, Hopkins, Alexandria, Rogers, and Stillwater to find their hidden gems.  But if it’s something really incredible you’re looking for, then check out one of these 5 stores to see what kind of unique treasures you can wrap your mind around.

5. Ax-Man Surplus, St. Paul –  We covered Ax-Man before at HighwayHighlights, but there is no way this list could exist without it.  Out of the three Twin Cities locations, the St. Paul quirkfest can hardly be described by words.  It must be experienced in person. There is a plethora of bizarre items here ranging from an Iron Lung to outdated baseball card-style folders from the early 90’s to tools, electronic components, and whatever else they can get ahold of.

4. Makeshift Accessories, Northfield – There are a lot of people and places re-purposing old junk into new things, but no one in Minnesota is doing it like the folks at Makeshift Accessories. The little shop in historic downtown Northfield has been creating wall art, jewelry/accessories, and other quirky pieces since 2007.  They specialize in old military artifacts, coins, industrial machinery, license plates, and salvaged home decor and create some of the most incredible works of art you can imagine. Many of the items feature a story on display next to them which details where they came from.

3.  City Salvage, Minneapolis  – City Salvage in Northeast Minneapolis is an amazing place to find antique doors, lights, and countless other furnishings salvaged from demolished or remodeled historic buildings and old homes.  If you need any antique door knobs, light switch plates, trim boards or even brass rail-style bars for your home restoration project, this place is a must.

2. North Shore Architectural Antiques, Two Harbors  – A great little town in its own right, Two Harbors is home to an amazing collection of salvaged antiques and decor. Specializing in artifacts from the Victorian, Arts & Crafts, and Art Deco period, most of the inventory comes from salvaged interiors of the beautiful and historic Duluth/North Shore area.

1. Hunt & Gather, Linden Hills, Minneapolis – Located at the busy intersection of 50th and Xerxes in the southwest-Minneapolis Linden Hills neighborhood, the jaw-dropping shop known as Hunt & Gather has been around for 15 years. The quirky, happy, store jam-packed to the gills with cool finds has even drawn in celebrities like Sheryl Crow.  Filled with taxidermy, thousands of old signs and giant letters, antique outdoor sculptures and statues, old church relics, knick-knacks, vintage artwork, maps, coins, keys, and everything else under the sun,  this “vintage amusement store” defies any classification and is constantly voted the best store in the state by every publication that has every stepped foot inside its crowded halls.

Are there any other quirky stores in Minnesota that we should know about? Let us know!