Rainy Day Revival sounds like a good name for an Americana band or maybe somewhere to observe a rain dance. But it’s neither.
Visitors are warned that the things they’ll see within these walls may offend them or at least gross them out. So what’s inside that can trigger such an extreme reaction?
We’ll find out as we step carefully into this intriguing little second-hand store in a very cool neighborhood.
Let’s check it out!
About Rainy Day Revival
The sign in front that spells “Oddities” in vertical fashion gives the first clue that Rainy Day Revival is offbeat. The phrase “buy, sell, trade” tips you off that this little shop may be closer to a pawn shop in spirit. Much of the merchandise is from the personal collection of owner Jeremy Gibbs, who opened the business in 2019.
He calls the place “a safe haven for those with eclectic taste.” But that’s not all. He and his wife, Kim, the co-owner, encourage like-minded folks to linger and visit when they’ve finished browsing.
Their most talked-about inventory items are dead animals, and we’re not talking about typical taxidermy. The macabre collection includes animal skulls, bones, and wet specimens preserved in alcohol or formaldehyde. Farther up the food chain, they also specialize in the trade of items related to funerals and the mortuary business.
While many customers have a morbid fascination, others have interests that run more toward art and biology. The store even attracts the attention of many filmmakers who see their cinematic value as props.
Where Is Rainy Day Revival?
Such funky establishments with unique personalities have breathed new life into Atlanta’s Little Five Points area. It’s so much fun to visit because there are so many awesome independent businesses. There’s lots of street art, which we love, and a positive, progressive atmosphere that’s laid-back but expressive.
Located east of the downtown area, the neighborhood gets its name from the intersection of five different streets. Four of them cross perpendicularly while another meanders diagonally.
Moreland Avenue and Euclid Avenue are the main drags. Another street, Seminole Avenue, is no longer open for motor traffic but swarms with pedestrians.
All this positive energy is a feel-good example of urban revitalization. This particular district thrived for much of the twentieth century because streetcars ran there. However, it fell into decline in the 1960s with the threat of planned highway construction. Thankfully, that never came to pass, and the neighborhood eventually grew into what it is today.
Pro Tip: Are you brave enough to visit these Haunted Places in Georgia: Perfect Road Trip Destinations.
What is the Oddities and Curiosities Expo?
Rainy Day Revival has limited business hours, so they might not be open when you visit Little Five Points. They sell online, as well, and take their show on the road as part of the Oddities and Curiosities Expo.
The Expo is a traveling exhibit showcasing the same bizarre items you find in the store. Besides what we’ve mentioned, objects might include weird clothing and jewelry, strange medical devices, and ephemera related to horror films.
This collective of vendors, artists, collectors, and retailers has about 40 shows lined up for this year. So look for them a few times a month as they move from city to city. Locations include St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Austin, Houston, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Denver, Chicago, and Tampa.
It’s an event where you’re sure to encounter more people like those who hang out at Rainy Day.
Best Things to Do Near Rainy Day Revival
Little Five Points is hopping most of the day and night. Some people say it has a strong hippie vibe, but we think it’s a lot more than that. Here are some more places of interest in the area.
Explore Ponce City Market
On the Atlanta Belt Line, the Ponce City Market is a lively and popular gathering place and an enviable example of a successful mixed-use development. Architects transformed a historic Sears headquarters into a multi-story emporium of restaurants, shops, and living space.
Catch the enticing aromas of fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmer’s market on the ground floor. Above, the rooftop Skyline Park offers carnival-style games, attractions, and incredible sunset views.
Pro Tip: Get the inside scoop on where to go and what to eat at the Ponce City Market.
Visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park
You’re also in the neighborhood where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent the first 12 years of his life. Visiting the two-story Queen Ann-style home on Auburn Street gives you an up-close-and-personal glimpse into his childhood. A walk through the nearby museum offers an expansive view of the slain civil rights leader’s history-altering legacy.
These sites are part of a National Historical Park that the National Park Service maintains. So is Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he pastored, and his and his widow’s final resting places.
Best Places to Stay Near Rainy Day Revival
You need more than one day to fully experience this action-packed section of Atlanta. To extend your stay, consider these three options for overnight accommodations. Whatever atmosphere you’re looking for can probably be found at one of these locations.
Sugar Magnolia Bed and Breakfast
This Victorian-style bed and breakfast shares its name with a classic Grateful Dead tune, but it’s a touch more regal and elegant. It’s still comfortable and relaxed, though, especially when the owner plays blues and jazz on the vintage grand piano.
The lovingly restored mansion, dating to 1892, offers four rooms for rent. One of them, the Aviary Room, has seven sides and a ceiling painted with clouds and birds. Lush foliage and soothing water fountains grace the grounds, and the historic neighborhood, Inman Park, invites a stroll.
Wylie Hotel
This trendy five-story hotel has a landmark history in addition to its prime location and modern conveniences. The basement of the 1920s-era building was the location of the city’s first bar that, in today’s parlance, was LGBTQIA-friendly. Its restaurant, Mrs. P’s Bar and Kitchen, pays tribute in name and with memorabilia from that underground period.
The Wylie is comfortably contemporary with an eclectic style that some have called “mid-century-meets-farmhouse.” The 111 pet-friendly rooms have tastefully stylish decor and furniture, and unexpected niceties. As a bonus, the boutique hotel is convenient to a converted rail-to-trail that leads directly to a huge green space.
Stone Mountain Park Campground
Another great thing about this area of Atlanta is that it’s closer to a mountain getaway. This sprawling and well-run campground, with more than 400 sites, is less than 20 miles from Little Five Points.
The campground is just minutes from popular tourist attractions like the Summit Skyride and the Scenic Railroad. They offer RV sites with full hookups, plus tent sites and yurt rentals. They have a laundry and numerous bathhouses with showers, along with a swimming pool, a playground, and a sand volleyball court.
Don’t Miss Rainy Day Revival
If you need a mummified piglet, a camel skull, or a toe tag from a morgue, we know just the place. There’s a good chance Rainy Day Revival has them all in stock.
The even better news is that there are lots of other things to do in the same vicinity. If you’ve never been there, you’ll see a side of Atlanta that you could never have imagined. And it’s one that you may want to visit again and again. When you do, maybe you’ll brave another peek inside that weird little shop with all the strange things for sale.
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