Charm City Rabbit Hole looks to bring an immersive art haven to Baltimore

In everyday life, April Gomez sees people going through similar routines that often take them to the same spaces. Yet she also senses that the folks walking around Target are “longing for a new experience.”

Gomez is looking to bring a place to take in lots of creative settings under one roof in Spring 2020.

She’s planning Charm City Rabbit Hole to be an immersive experience where a series of fantastical rooms created by artists play with size and perception.

As Gomez put it: “People don’t get to swing off of a giant mushroom normally.”

Along with an interior design degree, Gomez has experience with bringing a variety of memorable creations with April’s Twisted Entertainment, a decade-old venture offering balloon twisting, face painting, stilt walking and fire dancing.

She was inspired to begin to develop Charm City Rabbit Hole after visiting immersive art spots such as 29Rooms’ selfie-ready pop-up in New York City, then Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In both spots, she saw new forms of creative experiences. With big lines to get in at both, she also saw that people were responding.

To create the experience in Baltimore, Gomez is seeking 12,000 square feet of space. Visitors would enter into an “enchanted forest,” where a room would have a stage and bar that could double as a live venue. From there, the experience would transport visitors through a series of slides, tunnels and secret passageways connecting the immersive rooms.

Along with a swinging mushroom, Gomez mentioned concepts including a tunnel with giant books, an infinity room with a series of lighted mirrors, a room that offers the experience of feeling upside down and a giant chandelier. To introduce new concepts and keep things fresh, she plans to rotate a handful of the rooms regularly.

Gomez said it’ll be designed as a family-friendly space, but mostly geared toward young adults. In addition to the attraction itself, the space could house events and classes for children, Gomez said.

As she is still in search of space, Gomez is collecting found objects that could later have a home in one of the experiences. She is also in networking mode, looking to connect locally with investors and other likeminded folks who are interested in having a role in the space. She sees potential for technologists to add to the space, and would also be interested in working with a business partner.

One key to the space will be who creates it, Gomez said. She’s been working with local artists as she’s developed the space so far, so it’s clear that Baltimore has a place in this creative vision.

“I’m here to do what I love, and help the art community if I can,” she said.