An experience-driven entrepreneur has transformed 35 wooded acres in North Carolina into a distinctive lodging destination.
By Marla Hardee Milling / Photo above: Courtesy of Wunderland
Creating unique experiences is a special skill of entrepreneur Shawn Verbrugghe. He developed the Amazing Pubcycle in Asheville and the former Conundrum with escape rooms and an underground speakeasy. Now he’s focused on developing a one-of-a-kind lodging experience in Old Fort, North Carolina, called Wunderland.
“I’ve been a builder and designer my whole life,” said Verbrugghe. “At some point I didn’t want to be a builder. I wanted to do something more beneficial for the environment.” With his other businesses shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, he had time to consider possibilities. That’s when the concept of Wunderland materialized.
He scouted for land and found a gorgeous piece of property that backs up to more than 200,000 acres of the Grandfather District of Pisgah National Forest. He purchased a 35-acre tract that had been cared for by generations of one family for a century. “As we closed, I realized that 60 miles or so of epic mountain biking trails were being built down the street. That just put sprinkles on top. We ride or hike from the property into the national forest.”
Lodging at Wunderland includes themed villas, glamping pods, primitive campsites, and RV hookups. The Creator Villa opened in summer 2025, and the Yogi Villa opened in April.
“The Creator was inspired by my grandfather who was an artist,” said Verbrugghe. “Yogi is designed to give people the option to go a little bit deeper—a reset kind of thing. We’re developing journeys, our framework for an avenue of creativity or inner journey. We’ll use excerpts from really cool books, like The Artist’s Way, to prompt you to have this immersive day or weekend. It’s like an agenda or itinerary. We’re trying to do stuff that’s different.”
Work is in progress on the Adventure Villa (“if Indiana Jones was a modern-day mountain biker”) and Dreamer Villa (whimsical, fantasy, romantic). There’s also a plan to take an old train car and create a two-day-long, time-released escape room. “It will be steampunk and very immersive,” Verbrugghe said.
He’s working on adding another glamping pod (Air) to join Fire, Earth, and Spirit, along with Water, which is a land yacht with a tiki bar off the back. Wunderland amenities, for all guests, include a sauna and cold plunge, community fire pit, indoor and outdoor kitchens, and a swimming pond. The property is also shaping up to be a unique wedding venue. wunderlandresort.com
The story above first appeared in our May/June 2026 issue.
