Manic Mermaid is a unique, independently owned rock, crystal, mineral and gift shop located at 5436 South Tacoma Way in Tacoma, Washington. Our eclectic shop is filled with unusual, beautiful and sometimes wonderfully weird treasures, including crystals and minerals, fossils, meteorites, jewelry, locally made goods, gifts, cards, candles, incense and plenty of things you probably didn’t know you needed until you walked through the door.

What makes Manic Mermaid different is how we find our treasures. We hand-select many of our rocks, crystals and mineral specimens directly from miners and mining families we’ve built relationships with around the world. That allows us to bring in exceptional pieces with fascinating origins, from minerals found here in Washington State to specimens from remote localities around the globe and even meteorites from Mars.

Owners Charles and Janelle have been rockhounds since they were little. Charles was the kid sneaking into the local quarry after closing to hunt for fossils, while Janelle was perpetually in trouble on laundry day because her pockets were full of rocks. Decades later, not much has changed. Their love of rocks, fossils, minerals and the stories behind them eventually became Manic Mermaid.

Our collection goes well beyond the usual crystal shop selection. Depending on what has recently arrived, you might find dinosaur bones, Megalodon teeth, Moldavite, rare mineral specimens, UV-reactive minerals, unusual fossils, meteorites and truly one-of-a-kind pieces. We even own a pocket of rare UK fluorite with remarkable UV and daylight reactions. Because so much of what we carry is individually chosen, our inventory is constantly changing. Once a particular treasure finds a new home, there may never be another one quite like it.

You don’t have to know anything about rocks to come into Manic Mermaid. Serious collectors are just as welcome as someone buying their very first crystal, searching for a unique Tacoma gift, or simply wondering what on earth they’re looking at. Ask questions. Pick things up. Get curious. We’re always happy to tell you what something is, where it came from and why we thought it was cool enough to bring into the shop.

And please bring the kids. Manic Mermaid was designed to be a place where young rockhounds can actually experience things rather than stare at them from across a room. They can see and hold real dinosaur fossils, Megalodon teeth, meteorites and other pieces of natural history. We even have forgiving floors, because sometimes little hands drop things and we’d much rather have kids excited about science than terrified of touching anything.

After nearly a decade in Tacoma, Manic Mermaid began a new chapter in 2026 when we moved to South Tacoma Way, one of Tacoma’s oldest and most interesting business districts. We love being surrounded by historic buildings, locally owned businesses, artists, restaurants, vintage shops and a community that genuinely believes independent businesses are better when we support one another.

Whether you’re a lifelong rockhound, mineral collector, fossil hunter, looking for an unusual gift or just searching for something fun to do in Tacoma, come explore Manic Mermaid at 5436 South Tacoma Way.

You never know what treasure followed us home this time.