Acme Tattoo and Piercing

I had a great experience here! I was a walk in and they were able to accommodate me within just a few minutes for my tragus piercing. My piercer was Ariel and she was great, just talked to me a little bit beforehand and kept me calm because I was feeling a little bit nervous. Ariel did the piercing so quickly and easily and just kept talking through the whole thing so that I was at ease. I am so happy with my piercing, I think it looks so cute and they provided me with all the necessary aftercare information as well.

*******EDIT: 6/29/25******* Ariel messaged me and apologized for the experience that I had, which blewe away. We've talked it over a bit and after some good discussion, I'll be giving her another go. I have a feeling it will go much better this time around, and I'll update again after my next piercing. The front staff were absolutely excellent. The piercer? Not so much. I had the displeasure of having Ariel. I was asking her about the piercings I wanted and she told me that we could talk more in the back. I agreed, but she kept mentioning how we needed to hurry up and how she had a full schedule. My experience was rushed and she was borderline rude whenever she answered my questions, whether telling me that my metal allergy wasn't actually an allergy, or that pain is subjective, or that I have a head tilt, etc... I wanted to have a good experience. I tried. A lot. She told me that she would tell me to breathe when she inserted the needle. She didn't. Not until it was already halfway through. No warning. I'm almost certain that it's off center as well, but I'll just deal with that. I felt insignificant and unwanted, like I was a waste of her time. Like it was a burden to do my piercing. She didn't mind taking my money, but she certainly didn't want to give me her time. Maybe you'll have a better experience. I hope so. Maybe she was having a rough day. Whatever happened, it was taken out on me and I should have just walked out. My experience wasn't chill, special, fun, empowering, or any of the things I wanted it to be. I was disregarded and had a hole punched through my lip and felt even lower than when I came in for my piercing pick-me-up, and I even paid for it. Maybe get someone else if it's your first time.

I was consulted and pierced by Riess. The whole process went amazing! They made sure I understood the healing process and also worked to ensure I was comfortable throughout the experience. My piercings look perfect and the healing process has been going so well! They are fairly priced for their services too - will definitely be coming back for another piercing or future tattoo :)

Ariel was the best. She took the time to line up the piercings just right and explained the whole process. Will definitely be back!!

The guys ( and gals ) at Acme Tattoo made me feel like family. The Ambiance is incredible. The art work is crisp, professional and stunning. The shop is clean. Rob did an excellent piece on me and from now on I will go here! Thanks guys for a professional experience. Remember no credit cards accepted at this business bring cash!

This place was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint! Chris took excellent care of my daughter and had the best bedside manner. He explained everything and totally put her at ease as this was her first piercing. Also everyone who I interacted with there, either on the phone or in person was always so nice! Great place!

My buddy and I got matching tattoos here. Really friendly environment and a ton of fun with the staff. Would recommend for every piercing or tattoo.

Had a great experience with my 2nd ear lobe piercings yesterday. Staff were welcoming and efficient. They approved and sanitized the earrings I'd brought - (although you can buy there if you prefer). The piercings are well placed and have been totally pain free. The whole process was hygienic and professional. This would be a good place for kids first piercings because of the effort they go to to ensure clients feel comfortable. Thanks so much, you guys are the best!

My daughter & I walked in on a whim on a random Tues evening with not much time before closing. We knew we were taking a chance on the timing but had simple, small, tattoos in mind. Wes was very kind & courteous to this tattoo novice lending his professional advice with my design & placement. I appreciate that he stayed to do both mine and my daughter's tattoo. I felt very comfortable and relaxed during my visit. When I am ready for that next level tattoo I'll be back.

I just got my first tattoo from Collin Moore and I couldn't have had a better person. He was very easy to talk to and had a calming presence. I love my tattoo!!

Acme is the best spot in town for piercings and tattoos. I've gotten all of my work done by Wes and have had great experiences and even better results!

Incredible service. That's it. Really good. Got a small walk-in tattoo on my leg and had a great experience!

I've been here 3 times and had very good service every time. I've gotten my belly button pierced, nose pierced and a tattoo. All of them turned out great and didn't take long at all.

Gave me a tattoo that other places have said is unfixable. Everyone has recommended I laser it off and start over. I wouldn't go here if you're looking to get something more than a simple tattoo.

I got my nose pierced here and it went really well! My only other piercing experience was getting my ear lobes done in a Claire's. This was definitely more thorough. Everything seemed really clean here and my piercer (I forgot his name I'm so sorry) was very experienced and professional, talking me through how everything would go. I recently lost my nose stud, but I went back to buy a new one and they were super helpful about finding the right one for me.

Such a good experience with Acme! I had been looking for someone in the DC area (where I live) to do a fine line tattoo for me. One weekend I ended up visiting my sister in Charlottesville, and we both did walk-ins with Wes. He did an incredible job, and both of our tattoos healed beautifully. Wes was super nice/helpful and the environment at Acme was really welcoming and chill. Definitely the best tattooing experience I have had! I'm already looking forward to getting more work done by Wes. Worth the 2 hour drive for sure.

My friends got tattoos and were very happy. Me on the other hand left very disappointed. They refused to do my tattoo because it might cause drama within the shop.

Highly recommend!! I called and booked an appointment to get my rook pierced, and was not disappointed! Chris did an amazing job and made me feel comfortable the entire time. I will definitely be back

I walked in to get a piercing by Riess and she said she didn't have very much time but that she could fit me and my friend in before her next appointment. She did my friend's nose piercing perfectly but when she got to my navel piercing she quickly drew a crooked line on my belly button and asked if it looked okay. I thought it looked a bit crooked but I assumed that she knew what she was doing better than I did and that the line was just a general idea of where the piercing went. That was my mistake, I should have said something. But the piercing was very rushed and ended up slightly lopsided and angled strangely. She didn't even give me instructions on how to care for it and when I asked her she told me to just use saltwater and that I could look up more details online. She didn't seem to put much thought into it and she seemed overconfident that she could do it so quickly because she has so much experience. It may be just another of many daily tasks to her, but it's going to be on my body forever and I dropped good money for it

10/10 everyone was nice. my artist was micheal and he was so gentle and made the experience great overall

I went in for a piercing, and it did not turn out as hoped. They were nice, and tried to fix it, but had an apprentice draw the dots. It is still not great or even so I'm dissatisfied at that as the price was still not cheap after the mishap.

Chris was amazing with my little girl for her first ear piercing. She was a bit nervous, but within moments of being there he had her laughing and smiling. He adjusted the experience to her age: candy, funny glove balloon faces, mango scented ear cleaning solution and even some friendly rapport with her stuffed animal she brought along for comfort. She was so entertained she didn't even notice her ear was pierced until it was done! He even told her how brave she was and that she did a great job. She left beaming. Chris- thank you for making this a great experience for my daughter. She loves her new earrings!

I had an amazing getting a cartilage piercing (only my second) here! They were extremely professional and friendly. It was an easy and enjoyable experience-- in and out in like 15 minutes. The space is clean and well lit, and they have a dedicated piercing room, which is nice. It was easy to make an appointment. Do note that they only take cash, though! My piercer was Riess and she did a great job. It was quicker, less painful, and more fun by far than my previous piercings at other places! I had heard ACME was the best place to go and it was absolutely true.

I got my septum and left nostril pierced by Wes, loved the experience definitely will be back for more

My roommates and I walked in for piercings and tattoo (they got their second and third lobe piercings and I got a tattoo), and we left very happy and satisfied with the results. I was tattooed by Scott and he did a great job! I felt comfortable and was done in a short time. The pricing was also very reasonable.

I got my third holes, daith, and cartilage all done here. The woman who did the piercings made sure I was comfortable and let me know when she would do each piercing and allowed me to choose the order of what I wanted pierced. Super sweet and highly recommend! Definitely call and make an appointment.

Awful experience... I read reviews and ask questions and was charged twice as much as quoted for one of the simplest tattoos that is not even right. Mark was rude and left us sitting there for 20 minutes while he stood at the counter talking and eating. Good thing I have had a tattoo before because he went over nothing before or after the tattoo. Most of the other people in the office seemed a lot nicer and more informative with their clients. If you go to this shop please STAY AWAY FROM MARK. He must think he's special for some reason that I have not figured out when he screwed up a 20 minute one color tattoo.

Tattoo came out very good, but the artist I had dropped the N-word a few time. Very uncomfortable experience in all.

I've heard mixed reviews on Acme, so I'd never been, but I had a great experience. Scheduling an appointment was not the easiest, but Scott gave an amazing tattoo at a great price. Would definitely recommend!

Chris was the best ear piercer ever! He was so cool and easy to talk to, and did an amazing job :)

Great place! I haven't gotten a tattoo here yet, but I'm sure I will in the future! The piercer, Chris, is very friendly and enjoyable to work with. He even suggested a unique ear piercing for my double ear lobe. The experience was very fast and over before I knew it. Highly recommended!

I got my rook pierced for my birthday by Chris and it was such a smooth and quick process! Answered any and all the questions I had and walked me through the whole process as he did it.

I got my septum pierced and it was no pain at all. He also replaced a few other piercings and gave me a nice discount on top of all my services. Not to mention, they were cool with me leaving to get cash after doing my piercing. These guys rock!

Great job with both my piercing and tattoo. Everyone was so nice, followed all necessary precautions, gave after piecing/ tattoo care sheets, very reasonably priced. Highly recommend!

I made a last-minute tattoo appointment with Wes and could not be more pleased. He is extremely talented at interpreting your vision into an initial drawing; his first sketch was so perfect that I made no changes. I will absolutely be coming back for future work and couldn't recommend him more strongly.

I got my ears pierced here (2 forward helixes, 1 floater, and 2 mid-helixes). My piercer was amazing, ensuring that I was comfortable before each piercing. He even recommended the floater piercing to complete the look. Everything was extremely sanitary and 2 weeks later I haven't had any issues with healing!

Walked in spontaneously with my friend and even though the main piercer was out of the shop, Wes took care of us and did a fantastic job. I got my septum pierced and my friend got her cartilage pierced. Wes talked us through the entire process and was very attentive and helpful. Both of us got pierced witching 15 minutes of walking into the shop. (Friend also got a small tattoo here. Her experience was great, which is why we decided to get piercings at this shop. Would highly recommend! $50 for septum including jewellery and $40 for cartilage including jewellery.

I got three ear lobe piercings here yesterday. Chris is very kind, and will make you feel comfortable from the moment you walk in. He picked out some very beautiful opal earrings for me. The piercings were not painful at all, and he got all three piercings done in about 10 minutes. They look great! I can't stop looking at them! I would definitely go back. In total, the three piercings cost $75 (+ tip = $90). They use medical grade steel here, which is fantastic for someone like me; I have had to let some piercings I got at the mall close up because I was allergic to the earrings the people at the mall used. I was also very impressed at how clean and orderly everything was. The jewelry came in sealed, sterile packaging. I noticed Chris had a tub of the surgical grade wipes hospitals use in their OR's, which is impressive/ shows a real commitment to client safety. If you're considering getting a piercing in Charlottesville, go here!! I can't recommend it enough. The side bar says "credit cards accepted," but that is incongruous with my experience... I was told they don't take cards. There's an ATM nearby, and it is totally worth the trip!

Great Place and Very Professional! I went there a week ago and got my 1st tattoo with Greg. It is very clean and they are really professional with the work they do. I went back today and got my 2nd tattoo done by Greg and it looks much better than the picture I brought it. I highly recommend this place. It was a Great experience and I love my tattoos.

Wes was awesome! We walked in without an appointment and he was able to tattoo me, my Mom, & sister. (Small simple tattoos) Extremely sanitary procedures. Tattoos look great. He was very careful & though our tattoos were simple, he ensured they all looked perfect!

OK, so this was my first time getting my NAVEL pierced. Mind you, I'm a huge scaredy cat with pain. I thought my earlobes were painful... BUT Chris, is SUCH a great guy. He's informative, lets you know when he's about to pierce, calms you down and super attentive. The pain was for only 2 seconds and I think my TB shots were more painful than that! I loved the end result and I really appreciated Chris's thorough explanations on how to care for the piercing. If you need a piercing, definitely go to Chris!!

Everyone's awesome reviews of Chris were true!!! His attention to a sterile environment was comparable to someone in a lab or medical field. He was great! When he said, don't touch your piercing unless you just washed your hands, I was impressed. Little to no pain or swelling. This fellow was great! Enjoyed talking with him.

I got my first tattoo here. I had made multiple appt at other places but when the time came I would chicken out. Ashley did my tattoo. I explained that to him and he said "can you come now!?" And I did and I am so happy I did. That was 9 years ago and my tattoo still looks crisp! I am so very sad to see the shop closed, I have drawn out a new tattoo and was hoping Ashley could do it. He did such a great job touching up my drawing but keeping it as original as possible. Such a phenomenal artist! I would love to know where I can find him!!

4 years after I came here, I am writing this review. After all, a tattoo is something that is going to last you a very long time. I had now had mine for a considerable time and so I think it's time to reflect. I have to admit that I was a horrible shopper. I didn't shop around for artists. I knew what I wanted and I knew what I wanted it to look like, but I hadn't looked for artists. Looking back, that was probably a really stupid thing to do, but I got lucky. Acme is located in a cute little house right off University. I walked in to a clean, bright, charming place and it put me right at ease. The artist came up to me and asked me what I wanted. I told him, showed him a picture, and in about 10min, he had something drawn up. I made edits and once it was exactly what I wanted, he went to work. I felt bad for being as picky as I was. Once we put the stencil on my body, I moved it twice. Hey... this is important stuff... Finally, the ink was put to work. The entire process took about an hour. It's not a big tattoo, but I love it still. I do remember that when he worked on some bubbles that are right on my spine, I had to take a break. It hurt to much. But the store keepers and the artists made me feel comfortable throughout the entire process. I walked out of there very happy, and only $60 poorer. 4 years later, I still love my tattoo. It's cute, well done, and very me. I think what I was most happy about is that the people in the shop understood what I wanted.

I have not gotten any tattoos here yet, but the piercer, Chris, is phenomenal! He did my industrial bar and was both super helpful/informative and friendly! Chris is quick clean and always available if you have questions before or after visiting. I would 100000% recommend him to all of my friends!

Walked in around 7:30 to get my belly button pierced and immediately they were extremely friendly and got taken back within minutes of arrival. Then Chris explained everything he was doing and was amazing! Do not wanna go anywhere else from here on out! Everything was super clean and comfortable. Everyone there was super cool and definitely will be going back!

I got my nose pierced here two weeks ago. I can't remember the piercer's name but he was really nice and patient. He unpackaged everything in front of me and explained everything he was doing which definitely put me at ease. I left after getting pierced to go get cash because they don't take card and Sheetz nearby has a charge free atm. The location was convenient and the store was very clean! I'd definitely be back solely because of how patient the piercer was.

Perhaps this place is getting good reviews because it's one of four shops in this town and two of those are Acme. Maybe it's that people have gotten used to the rude attitudes and poor time management of tattoo artists and just chalk it up to "that's just how it is". I don't know and really don't care. I just know that when you call a shop and they're rude as hell to you on the phone then you should know better than to go to their sister shop. That one is on me. What isn't on me is making a deposit of more than I needed to because I was serious about an appointment and then the guy emailing me AT my appointment time to tell me he was stuck in traffic. After I email back saying I had been at the shop since 5 minutes after they were supposed to be open (30 minutes prior to my appt) he lets me know my deposit is non refundable. Deposits usually are non refundable but my time is non refundable as well. I didn't miss my appointment. You did. Thanks for taking money for doing nothing and perpetuating the M.O. of tattoo artists and their lack of time management. It's crappy for the ones that do know how to manage their time and priorities.

I got my septum pierced here a few weeks ago. Chris was AMAZING. I asked how much pain I could expect, and he said it would make my eyes water a bit and nothing more. That is exactly how it felt. He pierced the softest part of my septum and I felt absolutely no pain. He was delightfully vulgar, but was not excessive with his swearing. I was in and out of the room in about ten minutes. I loved the atmosohere; it was very clean, Nirvana was playing softly in the background, and the whole place seemed very relaxed and at ease. I fully plan on getting my next several tattoos here.

I just went in to get help changing my rook piercing after trying (and failing). The guys in the front of the shop were super nice, attentive, and professional, and the shop was so clean. They helped me right away and I was out in less than 5 minutes. I'll definitely be back for my next piercing or tattoo (still deciding!).

Switched out some nostril jewelry and they were great! It was my first visit here and I'll be sure to come back--rad place.

Chris did a great job with my piercings and he really knows his stuff! I walked in intending to get my fourth holes, but Chris explained to me that my third holes were pierced unevenly (which i suspected) so he suggested an alternative idea. I told him I was into the asymmetrical look so he offered numerous creative and awesome ideas. For the time being, I ended up getting a mid-cartilage on one side and my fourth hole on the other, but he only charged me for the lobe price. Wahoo! Knowing his knowledge and abilities, I plan on returning to take him up on some of his other suggestions in the near future! I have already begun suggesting this place to friends.

Got my second tattoo this evening!! Andy at ACME is AWESOME!! The store was clean and didn't smell like smoke or anything other than a store. He pulled out everything in from of me so I knew it was all new and helped me decide all the important details...size and shading:) I'm going back soon for my third and won't go anywhere else. This was virtually painless and really fun!!

What a great experience! This was my first tattoo in Charlottesville, but definitely not my first rodeo! Wes did such a great job. He was clean, professional, personable and knowledgeable. We had a great conversation about the history of tattooing which really helped the time pass. I was so thrilled with how the tattoo turned out. I will definitely be going back to see Wes as soon as I can.

I've gotten three tats here, and it was a great experience every time. Quality of the work is very high, safety/hygiene practices are very good, and the guys make it a fun, relaxed experience (not always a painless one, but that comes with the territory). Highly recommend.

I got a nose piercing and the experience was overall pleasant and very fast. They are very clear about how to clean the piercing. The shop was clean and workers professional. Would definitely come back to get another piercing.

I had my navel pierced here, and accompanied friends for various piercings/tattoos over my 3.5 years in Charlottesville. Everyone I encountered there was super-friendly, the space was always clean, and the private rooms made for (in my opinion) a less nerve-racking experience as you were never "on display" while getting work done. Everyone who got a piercing here (tongue, cartilege, navel, eyebrow) was given specific , detailed instructions for after-care and as a result, no one got infections. While obviously artist choice is a very personal thing, the tattoo artists at Acme seemed very willing to work with clients to refine/perfect designs, which I've heard is not always the case at some parlors. Anyway, I'd highly recommend Acme if you're in the area.

I had an amazing experience getting a piercing here. I got my cartilage pierced and the piercer was super informative and took away any nervousness I had beforehand! I will definitely come back if i ever want another piercing!!