Photo by Jennifer Curington

A novelty gift shop and anticipated wax museum can be found at Sfanthor.

Anyone driving down South Congress Avenue recently might wonder what is housed inside the recently developed castle-shaped structure called Sfanthor, an exhibit and store that draws its inspiration—and name—from the sci-fi, fantasy and horror genres.

Sfanthor has had its drawbridge down since March, but owner Steve Busti said the store will not be complete until its wax museum opens by year's end.

"It is a pretty daunting task trying to build a wax museum from scratch, but that was always one of my dreams," Busti said. "I felt like it was something that the world, or at least Austin, needed right now."

If his sets are not complete by Christmas weekend, Busti said he will allow visitors to see the displays that are ready for public viewing. He said he was lucky he grew up in the "monster era" and wants the museum to be an avenue to share that experience and passion with others.

"There's a history of these horror and sci-fi movies that I think people today are missing out on," he said.

Most of the comics and toys for sale in the shop are from Busti's own collection that he put together for decades.

"I've been collecting toys and comics since I was 4 or 5 years old," he said. "In fact, I think a lot of my early childhood memories and experiences have led me down this path."

Sfanthor, 1101 S. Congress Ave., 512-444-7326, www.facebook.com/sfanthor