Maybe you've seen a peek of this unusual two-story Parisian shop in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" -- but if you didn't know the contents inside this establishment on rue du Bac, you wouldn't expect to walk into a world full of motionless, perfectly preserved animals of all shapes, sizes, and poses. Dating back to 1831, Deyrolle truly is a wonder far beyond the average taxidermy shop. Vassili Verrecchia, a native of Paris, tells us why this little shop is his favorite place in the entire city:

"The history, the people, the building, the wood, the green walls and the high ceilings. February 1st, 2008 at 5 AM, the 1st floor of this Parisian institution and its sleeping beauties are devastated by a sudden fire in an ironic second death for its tenants. After 20 months of reconstruction, extraordinary efforts, and well deserved support, Maison Deyrolle opened again in September 2009. I love the wooden floors cracking under my feet, my conversations with my friend Sophie, learning so much from Peio, the extraordinary sciententist. Both of them make Deyrolle very special to me, truly passionate. Every time I travel, I get so excited to go back and notice the animals trading places, new animals coming in, and others leaving for new homes. The aesthetic is so perfect, so elegant and real."

Click through to see inside the world of wonder...

[Deyrolle is located at 46 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France]

[Photo credit: Lara Melchior]

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