This video is no longer available.
For some, a neighborhood bar is a place where one can wind down after a long day, meet with friends and enjoy a drink or two. In D.C.’s Columbia Heights, The Wonderland Ballroom fits that description.
Opened in 2004, the two-floor rustic bar has turned into a community staple. On Aug. 10, its owners prepare to celebrate a fun milestone: The Wonderland Ballroom turns 21 years old.
“We’re so excited to finally be drinking legit,” Matthew McGovern, who co-owns the establishment, said.
Alongside his wife Rose Donna, the pair opened the bar as a side business. At the time, McGovern was working in property management while Donna had a software company. When he showed Donna the building sitting between the corner of Kenyon and 11th streets in Northwest, she immediately called the space “a bar.”
“And then next thing you know, I had a software company and was bartending,” she said.
Before its grand opening, the couple, family and friends helped clean out the space and set up the business. For its name, McGovern said there were many old ballrooms that turned into bars from where they are from, New York and Detroit.
“We’re like, ‘D.C. doesn’t have that, so let’s call Wonderland Ballroom,'” he said. “Everybody will remember it because it doesn’t make sense. And it worked.”
On opening day, McGovern said people were shocked to find their business, thinking it was a house party. Days and weeks went by and the bar slowly started picking up business.
Donna recalled trading business cards with taxi drivers to encourage recommendations to their riders. Soon, the growth of Craigslist, a classified advertisements website, and other neighborhood websites encouraged new neighbors to give it a try.
Now, The Wonderland Ballroom appears by name in Google and rideshare apps, a development that still surprises Donna and McGovern to this day.
The bar features a small outdoor patio space with multiple tables to allow guests to enjoy their drinks and food outside with their children or pets. Inside, the rustic look glows with old business signs of former D.C. businesses all over its walls along with light fixtures.
During the week, the bar hosts trivia nights, karaoke, bands, fundraisers and comedy shows, attracting people of all ages. At night, the second floor converts into a dance floor, bringing in a younger clientele.
“We cater to a lot of people,” McGovern said. “And I think people recognize that it’s welcoming.”
That feeling of community has made The Wonderland Ballroom grow into “more than a bar,” Donna said, comparing it to a community center. Many regulars have brought their children, once they are of age, while other patrons have met their significant others at the bar. It has also become part of the Columbia Heights community as more businesses continue to make roots in D.C.
“We know everybody up and down. Everybody knows us,” Donna said. “It’s really grown into more than a bar.”
On Aug. 10, The Wonderland Ballroom will celebrate its 21st anniversary, promising “dining, dancing and delirium.” It does not ask for a cover charge, Donna said, encouraging as many as possible to come out and be a part of the fun.
“We do what we always do,” McGovern said. “We have food, we have cheap drinks, and we have music.”
During each anniversary, the bar adds a new Buddha as part of its collection. It began after Donna received one for its grand opening from someone she worked with in Nepal as “a sign of prosperity.”
On Aug. 10, another Buddha will be added to collection, Donna said, in hopes of another year of positivity growth.
“It’s really for the neighborhood to say, ‘thank you for supporting us,'” Donna said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
