Wicked Wanda’s: Inside Ottawa’s Legendary Barrymore’s Music Hall

When you walk into Wicked Wanda’s, you’re stepping into more than just a sex-positive shop — you’re stepping into a living piece of Ottawa’s wild, creative, rebellious history.

Our home? The iconic Barrymore’s Music Hall — a building that’s been hosting artists, dreamers, and pleasure-seekers for over a century.

A Quick History Lesson (Don’t Worry, It’s the Fun Kind)

1905 — The building goes up, part of a wave of theaters, vaudeville stages, and weird little art spaces popping up in Ottawa.

1978 — Barrymore’s Music Hall is born, and almost immediately becomes the place to see live music in the city. We’re talking U2 before they were famous, The Police, Tina Turner, Blue Rodeo — everyone played here.

1980s–1990s — Barrymore’s hits legendary status. But it’s not just about the music. Upstairs, something a little more underground is happening: Pandora’s Box, one of Ottawa’s first sex-positive clubs, opens its doors. BDSM, kink, swinging — you name it. Long before "sex positivity" was trending on TikTok, people were already building a community here, rooted in consent, exploration, and respect.

1990s–2000s — Like any good rebel story, there are some rough patches. Closures, reopenings, different owners trying to keep the magic alive.

2000s — Barrymore’s shifts into dance parties, retro nights, and DJ sets — but it always keeps that gritty, “anything could happen” energy.

Today — Wicked Wanda’s moves in. And honestly? It just makes sense. This building was always about freedom — now, it’s just a little more explicit (in the best way).

Pandora’s Box Walked So We Could Run

Before “sex-positive” was a buzzword, Pandora’s Box was up there teaching people about safe exploration, consent, kink, and pushing back against shame.
It was a secret to some, a lifeline to others — a place where you could show up exactly as you were and find your people.

Wicked Wanda’s isn’t just renting space here — we’re carrying that legacy forward.
We’re still about:

• Saying the quiet stuff out loud.

• Making education sexy (and free from shame).

• Giving people permission to explore their bodies, their pleasure, and their relationships without judgment.

• Building a real, messy, joyful community.

Ottawa’s always needed a space like this — and we're proud to keep the lights on.