Wonderland

Tucked away in Shockoe Bottom between the seedy night clubs and trendy restaurants, you’ll find a little hole-in-the-wall called Wonderland. It’s the kind of place that seems a little too insane to be true, with a decor that could be considered a mix of horror movie and carnival freak show. Brightly colored lights illuminate manikin parts, off-season holiday decorations, and a large variety of skulls. Wonderland is the kind of dive bar you might find, well, ‘down the rabbit hole.’ The owner, Chad, is almost always there. You can’t miss him—he’s the size of Hagrid from Harry Potter, and is most likely behind the bar serving PBR to a devoted collection of regulars. Wonderland is the stomping grounds of the RVA Roller Derby girls, the local pro wrestling scene (Richmond Lucha Libre), hockey fans, horror movie buffs, a weekly dart league, and, since there is frequently live music on the weekends, rock and rollers. It’s a place too bizarre to be true, but stop in and have a beer, and you’ll begin to believe it.