Alice in Wonderland Oxford
Visit Oxford and explore the birthplace of Alice in Wonderland!
Discover the places that inspired Charles Lutwidge Dodgeson (aka Lewis Carroll) in 1862 to write the enchanting story of Alice in Wonderland, where a little girl named Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole into a magical Wonderland.
The main character was inspired by Alice Liddell, the 10-year-old daughter of H.G. Liddell, the dean of Christ Church College. Lewis Carroll was a mathematics lecturer at the college when he first met Alice. During a boat trip on the River Thames Lewis told Alice and her sisters a story about a girl named Alice who was looking for adventures… and so the story began.
At Christ Church College, visitors can walk through the same hallways and gardens Alice and her sisters once walked. When looking inside the Cathedral Garden you will notice a little door, this is said to be the door through which Alice entered Wonderland. Inside the college, visitors can also search for hidden Alice features, such as the amazing Alice in Wonderland motives in one of the large windows in the Great Dining Hall or brass andirons shaped like two ladies with long necks. They are considered as an inspiration for Alice after she tried the left-hand portion of the mushroom, which made her neck grow long.
Close to Christ Church is Alice’s Shop, which was originally the Old Sheep shop. Nowadays, Alice’s Shop is a popular place for Alice fans to buy all kinds of Alice products, ranging from books, postcards, to jewelry and decorations.
For a really unforgettable Alice in Wonderland experience, visit Oxford on Alice’s Day in July and enjoy a day full of events inspired by the classic story, including tea-parties, croquet, storytelling, workshops and much more.
To learn more about the story of Alice in Wonderland in Oxford, join a private walking tour of Oxford.
