Coffin It Up Pahrump

Located on the outskirts of Pahrump, Coffin It Up is a custom coffin workshop and eccentric homestead known as Coffinwood. Run by Bryan and Dusty Schoening, this reservation-only attraction features a collection of classic hearses, coffin-shaped gardens, and a certified wedding chapel, offering a deeply personal look at the art of the six-sided sleep.

Coffin It Up, situated on a dusty property known as Coffinwood in the outskirts of Pahrump, is a custom coffin workshop and eccentric homestead that challenges the corporate funeral industry with hand-crafted, six-sided wooden art. Founded by carpenter Bryan Schoening and his wife, Dusty, the business was born from both tragedy and a family prank. In 1997, Bryan lost his parents and dog to a drunk driver, an experience that left him deeply disillusioned by the high-pressure sales tactics of traditional mortuaries. Years later, when his daughter asked him to construct a coffin for a Halloween prank, he discovered that the complex angles of traditional six-sided coffin-making were a rewarding woodworking challenge. Bryan decided to turn his craft into a full-time calling, offering personalized, affordable alternatives to mass-produced, four-sided caskets. Over the years, he has built bespoke coffins for everyday folks as well as musicians like Jonathan Davis of Korn and Jeff Hanneman of Slayer.

The surrounding property, Coffinwood, is a full-scale manifestation of the couple's passion, but it is not a casual roadside gift shop for walk-in tourists. Because Coffinwood is also the Schoenings' private residence, drop-in visitors and drive-by trespassers are strictly turned away. To experience this unusual desert compound, travelers must book a guided tour online in advance. Those who make reservations are treated to a two-hour journey through a meticulously curated world where death and life coexist playfully. The grounds feature a faux graveyard honoring departed friends, an active pet cemetery, and a coffin-shaped greenhouse. Dusty tends to coffin-shaped raised garden beds where she grows vegetables and dark, black flowers. Visitors can also view "The Boys," the couple's collection of 11 classic, meticulously restored hearses, and perhaps catch a glimpse of Tank, the resident Coffinwood tortoise.

Deepening the property's unique lore is the Church of the Coffin, which was legally certified by the State of Nevada in 2006. Bryan, an ordained minister, conducts weddings and vow renewals under a six-sided, coffin-shaped gazebo on the grounds, offering couples a memorable way to pledge their love "until death do us part". The tour also provides a rare look inside Bryan’s workshops, including his lapidary studio where he works with materials like obsidian, the foundry of Greencycle, and the coffin shop itself. While the couple crafts actual burial vessels, Coffin It Up also produces custom coffin-shaped furniture, including coffee tables, bookcases, computer desks, and even kitchen cabinets. Sunday tours are available for thirty dollars per person, with start times at eight, ten, and two. It is a highly specific, deeply personal labor of love that rewards those who plan ahead, providing a profound and surprisingly heartwarming perspective on mortality before they journey deeper into the Mojave Desert.