Meow Wolf: Have You Ever Been Experienced?
Meow Wolf: Have You Ever Been Experienced?
A Review of Meow Wolf
Meow Wolf is a massive, exploratory art-space, inviting the visitor to wander from reality to reality, through wormholes and hidden portals. There are currently two, and I visited Santa Fe’s ‘House of Eternal Return’ in December 2019, and Las Vegas’ new ‘Omega Mart’ last month. The atmosphere and theme are completely different at each, making both totally worth a visit.
That being said, my biggest piece of advice about Meow Wolf would be to consume no information about Meow Wolf before going. Stop here and just go experience it.
This is a dream world, ripe for exploration
If you have elected to keep reading, I am going to review Meow Wolf while trying to divulge as little as possible, because part of its magic is the element of surprise.
I can’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t enjoy a visit to Meow Wolf. This is a dream world, ripe for exploration by children, aesthetes, artists, experience seekers, adrenaline junkies, dreamers, curiosity seekers, and everyday folks just looking for something out of the ordinary to do.
Photos taken by Charlene
Immediately after my visit to Omega Mart I thought I enjoyed House of Eternal Return more, but as I reflected on Omega Mart I realized this was due primarily to the initial surprise of my visit to Santa Fe. I love exposing my mind to fully unique experiences that challenge it; that force it to form connections and file information that didn’t exist there before. My first visit to Meow Wolf was one of these events on a grand scale. Not knowing what to expect, the sensory overload was mind-blowing. I had no idea I could come that close to tripping while being completely sober!
I had no idea I could come that close to tripping while being completely sober!
Without that shock of the pure unknown on my second visit, I couldn’t fully recapture that awesome sense of disorientation, but Omega Mart still delivered. I savored the overall feel and the additional alternate realities it offered. It was pure pleasure to return to that level of fantasy. I also liked the story thread better at Omega Mart. Know that there is an overarching story at play at both Meow Wolf’s, and you can delve deep into discovering it, or completely enjoy your visit without dipping a toe into that world. Considering aspects like this, the amount of time you need to visit will depend on who you are. I spent about four hours on both of my visits before I was worn out and pretty sure I’d seen all I wanted to see. (But I bet there are some things I missed!) I would suspect 2-6 hours is the norm.
Photos taken by Charlene
I felt Omega Mart was doing a good job at addressing COVID concerns, with more limited admission, sanitation staff, and hand sanitizer stations everywhere, but comfort level when it comes to COVID is a personal issue. There is a lot of shared space and touching surfaces at Meow Wolf, so you will need to take this into account when making a decision if you want to visit soon, or more into the future.
Photos taken by Charlene
It is important to note that to fully experience Meow Wolf, a bit of physicality is required. If you have limited physical abilities, you may want to contact the location prior to visiting to discuss all the accessibility options they provide for your particular situation. Also make sure and read the information provided beforehand to help you enjoy your visit to the fullest. The wrong clothing or accessories can limit your exploration. I am not particularly fit, but I can and do climb stairs, crawl, slide, etc. whenever I feel a need.
