Wonder Gardens
*On December 26, 1929, the opening of Wonder Gardens is celebrated. Also known as Wonder Bar, it was a jazz and R&B nightclub at 1601 Arctic Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Originally called Wonder Bar, the jazz nightspot opened around 1929 at 1601 Arctic Avenue, on the northwest corner of Kentucky Avenue and Arctic Avenue. In the 1940s and 1950s, it was owned by Charles Randall. At one point, B.B. King, a frequent performer at Club Harlem, became a part-owner of the Wonder Gardens and began appearing here exclusively two weekends a year.
In July 1940, the Wonder Bar, Club Harlem, the Paradise Club, and Grace's Little Belmont were raided by police, led by the newly elected mayor, Tom Taggart, for illegal gambling activities. The police confiscated "three truckloads of gambling paraphernalia" and arrested 32, then shut down the four clubs. The arrestees from the Wonder Bar included Randall, John Doyle, and Albert Leighton, who all pleaded not guilty and were released on bail. The next day, the clubs were open for business as usual.
The raid followed a period of unease between the new mayor and Black citizens of Atlantic City's north side earlier. Its music played all night and into the morning in the district's heyday in the 1940s through 1960s. Presenting popular jazz musicians and new talent, the Wonder Gardens provided early exposure for Dan Fogel, Harvey Mason, George Benson, and the Commodores.
Over the years, the music has changed from jazz to rock, soul, and pop. In 1979, the club was renovated and renamed the Latin Wonder Gardens, featuring live Afro Cuban music. In 1991, it underwent a second renovation and name change to the New Wonder Gardens, featuring Latin, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and reggae acts. Dancer LeRoy Myers purchased the club in the 1970s and sold it in 2001.
