This week marked the 150th anniversary of the first time Lewis Carroll told the story that became his beloved novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. On July 4, 1862, Charles Dodgson (the author who would publish as Carroll) boarded a small boat with three young girls.
Here’s more from Brain Pickings: “Entrusted with entertaining the young ladies, Dodgson fancied a story about a whimsical world full of fantastical characters, and named his protagonist Alice. So taken was Alice Liddell with the story that she asked Dodgson to write it down for her, which he did when he soon sent her a manuscript under the title of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground.”
In 1865, Carroll published his first Alice story. The Through the Looking Glass sequel followed in 1871.

The two titles have spawned numerous adaptations and artistic projects. To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of five ideas on how to celebrate Carroll’s novels. (via The Huffington Post)

1. New York City readers can visit the Wonderland-themed bistro, Alice’s Tea Cup. This restaurant has three different locations throughout Manhattan.
2. In the north-eastern part of Central Park, you can view José De Creeft‘s Alice in Wonderland statue. It features both the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter. For art lovers who are not in the New York City area, you can still check out Salvador Dali‘s illustration series inspired by the book.
3. In the UK, the theme park Blackpool Pleasure Beach contains an Alice in Wonderland family ride that promises to transport “riders through the looking glass into Alice’s Wonderland.”
4. Film fanatics have a plethora of Wonderland film adaptations to choose from. Throughout the decades, Carroll’s novels have spawned both live-action and animation movies.
5. For those who desire a little more action with their Wonderland adventure, you can turn to the multiple video games and role-playing games inspired by Carroll’s novels.
6. Karaoke, anyone? The rock band Aerosmith made a music video for their Wonderland-inspired song, Sunshine.