Follow us down the rabbit hole to the Mad Hatter tea party. Yes that’s right, experience a real life Wonderland at Wonderland Dreams. You must add this immersive experience by artist, Alexa Meade, and Morgan First and Tyler Balliet, the team behind Rosé Mansion, to your list of places to visit this Fall and Spring in NYC. Wonderland Dreams is a one of a kind adventure inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Be the Queen (or King) of Hearts, sip tea at the Max Hatter Tea Party, walk through tiny doors and passageways and more. We are excited to share our experience at Wonderland Dreams with you.
What is Wonderland Dreams?
As lost as Alice, as mad as the Mad Hatter. Wonderland Dreams is an immersive art exhibit centrally located in Midtown Manhattan on 5th Avenue and 44th Street. This one of a kind experience is equally enjoyable for NYC residents and tourists, alike. Wonderland Dreams is just steps away from Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, Broadway theaters, Times Square and the Museum of Modern Art. The experience is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2PM to 10PM, Fridays from 2PM to 11PM, Saturdays from 10AM to 11PM and Sundays from 12PM to 8PM. They are closed on Tuesday.
Wonderland Dreams Art
Every adventure requires a first step. Wonderland Dreams brings you inside Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alexa and her team transformed a former Best Buy building into a 26,000 square foot Wonderland. Alexa created bold art installations in over 20 rooms and let’s you become part of the exhibits by wearing and interacting with the custom props in each room. Every inch of the space was hand-painted into a multidimensional work of art. The level of depth and scale, layering of color palettes, textured brushstrokes and elaborate custom fabrications make Wonderland Dreams truly a one of a kind experience. Once you walk inside, you’ll go down an colorful staircase and walk inside a painting.
Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it. Alexa and her team painted the walls, floors, ceilings, tiny houses, furniture, clothes, cupcakes, giant mushrooms, life size flamingos, playing cards and more. The array of hand painted props make this a dynamic experience that let us paint ourselves into her canvas. Next we walked inside the magical tiny purple and pink house, while our friends rode in the tiny cars.
This isn’t a traditional museum. Sit, lie down and relax! There are lawn chairs and a giant throne. You know who’s the boss from this pic! I mean bosses-lol.
The sound of music. You can even pretend to play some musical instruments.
Move over Mona Lisa, Wonderland Dreams allows you to step out of reality and become the subject of each painting. Transpose yourself into the art, and bring the room to life with your personality, style, and presence.
Rose to the occasion. We also walked through the wall of roses and held a basket full of books.
Horsing around. We also took photos on the carousel horse. Just look at the gorgeous hand painted sunflowers in this room.
Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s neighbelline. The black and white room with the chess horse pieces was one of our favorites. Our bold, vibrant dresses really popped against the black and white walls and floors. This room really plays with perspective. Our niece, Keira thought we were floating in the air.
Piece of my heart. The vibrant heart within a heart is a picture perfect shot. Don’t forget to take a boomerang here.
At the preview night, we also saw Alexa paint a human subject. Look at how amazingly he blends into the black and white room?
I’m late for a very important date. The gorgeous grandfather clock and intergalactic room is another opportunity to become one with the art.
Off with their heads. Wear red and be the Queen (or King) of Hearts.
You can’t be in Wonderland without making a stop at the Mad Hatter Tea Party. Alexa and her team thought of everything to make this a magical tea party. We look like we are in a tea party painting.
The final stop is a garden labyrinth with lots of roses and a life size flamingo.
Wonderland Dreams tickets for are $36 for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and $46 for Friday through Sunday. Tickets include a colorful deck of cards. There is also a gift shop with clothes, playing cards, and one-of-a-kind 3D painted art objects, where you can take a piece of Wonderland home with you. The experience is open now until April 2023.
After the garden maze, stop by the Wine Bar and Café for drinks and light bites. You can also grab a drink at the bar without a ticket.
Make sure to follow us through the looking glass at Wonderland Dreams. This immersive experience is great for adults and kids. Go on a mesmerizing journey and navigate the surreal world of Wonderland. Become a live painting, sit at the Queen of Hearts throne, sip tea at Mad Hatter tea party, walk through the secret garden, open tiny doors and more. For more on immersive experiences in NYC, click here.
I believe art should make everyone feel welcome and leave them inspired, which is exactly my goal with this experience. At Wonderland Dreams, everyone who walks into the exhibit becomes part of this living work of art.
Alexa Meade.
Wow! What an amazing place – I have to check this out. The artist is so talented. Looks like you had a great time.
That is such an amazing exhibit! I love the pieces, and the interactive feel of some of it really draws me in.
The backdrops are so perfect for photos. This looks fun.
This must have been a great experience. I know and I can see it in your pictures! They are amazing.
I love all the photo opportunities they have, this looks like such a blast to visit in person! I hope they bring an exhibit like this to where I live.
This Exhibit is impressive. I would be there every other weekend.
Waaa, so amazing and fun to take pictures going to this wonderland. I would love to visit it one day and take pictures haha. Thank you for sharing!
Alice in Wonderland is my favourite pick-me-up book. I felt a little sad that the exhibition is so far that I will probably not be able to visit. But your photographs teleported me through that space. Thank you so much!
Wow…this place really takes you back in time! You might actually believe you are back in the yester years! I love it.
This place is so amazing. Never seen such an interesting place before.