If you’re walking down 18th Street, it’s hard to pass the El Anticuario storefront without wondering what’s inside.

It’s just about everything.

“People find it magical,” owner Francisco Orozco said of the Pilsen antique shop. Quirky vintage items, gadgets and a collection of Latin American books, statues and artifacts are found throughout the store at 1425 W. 18th St.

Orozco said his passion for collecting began when he was just a kid in Mexico.

“I like to swim, and I found a little piece of metal under the water…,” Orozco said. “It was a very interesting piece, and since then I started.”

If you hang around long enough, it’ll start to feel like you’ve entered a whole other world.

“This is the best part of the store because we try find the rarest books in Chicago,” Orozco explained. “This section is so special to me.”

Orozco opened the shop six years ago and runs it with his wife, Alex, and his daughter, Gibby.

“We used to call it hoarding because it very much is hoarding,” Gibby Orozco said. “Our house, oh my gosh, growing up, we would go to school and just what he does here, he would do at home, so we would come home, all the furniture would be rearranged.” 

Francisco Orozco said the shop is a representation of his roots. He wants it to be a space to celebrate his culture and love for all things strange. Everything in the store is intentionally curated.

“I always say to the people that this is not a place — it’s more like a concept,” Francisco Orozco said.

Gibby Orozco credits her parents for the success of the antique shop in the community.

“It’s not just another store to them,” Gibby Orozco said. “It’s like them opening their home.”

On weekends, Alex Orozco sells baked goods in a bakery the family created at the back of the store. They also recently opened a second location across the street where you can find furniture, as well as a larger collection of paintings and decor.

For hours and more info, check out the store’s Instagram account.

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