House of Eternal Return - Meow Wolf

During our recent trip to New Mexico-- a visit which saw us enjoy dune sledding at White Sands National Park, snow skiing in Taos Ski Valley, Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul film-location-touring in ABQ, and museum-hopping in Santa Fe-- we purchased tickets for House of Eternal Return - Meow Wolf. The website for Meow Wolf states, "House of Eternal Return is a scene straight out of science fiction: an old Victorian house inhabited by a family that has been sweeped into another dimension through a spiraling void, inside a former bowling alley." Visitors are given the task of solving the great mystery of what happened to the family that lives/lived here... navigating trippy rooms with intense colors, lights, sounds, and textures.

...And I have to admit... I didn't really think about that once I stepped inside of the museum proper. What I did find was a devastatingly-sober experience of psychedelics. The artists who contribute to this place certainly captured the essence of pushing your five senses to the limits... and then shoving you from behind while gently pulling up on your nostrils with two fingers... like that pie-smell in old cartoons that seductively drags you along towards terrifying bliss.

Secret passageways, optical illusions, strobe and black light features, and aural stimulation across the human range of hearing all contribute to an almost hallucinatory experience... but one that you can experience with your wife and kids. Honestly, the whole thing was sort of just like a big haunted house, with a sort of psilocybin edge... but as one of the t-shirts in the gift shop suggests, "No Bad Trips." Yeah, we all got the joke, here.

But what a punchline. And honestly, we had a really great time... except for one passage through a false back of a closet that led to a secret passage that got more narrow and narrow, until I sort of had to squeeze my 6'3" frame through an opening not designed for a guy my size. Call it chest pressure and move on.

The thought, of course, as you explore and discover in this place is a distinct wonder of what this place might be like if you were... well, otherwise *impared*. And for what it's worth, with three kids and my Mrs. in tow, my truck parked in the lot outside, and a bit of a drive to our hotel... I'm glad I was sober as a nun when it all came to an end.

At around $45 bucks a ticket, it was not a cheap cheap cheap night for a family of five, who really aren't cut from the cloth used to upholster the art museum set. Still, we had a blast, and chances are, you will too. Even if you leave your Instant Zen and microdot in the car, man.

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After having been to digital art museums (ie TeamLab ones), we probably would not put Meow Wolf in the same category. Built into a previous bowling alley, Meow Wolf is a campy, super oversized maze of random dark rooms decorated in a variety of different styles. It truly does take 2-3 hours to get through this. Much grimier and - again the emphasis on - campier compared to some of the other "art installation" places we've been to in the past. Think of wandering through an old amusement park/haunted house that hosts frat parties on the weekends.

The mystery hunt was also a bit beyond us in its randomness and requirement for a substantial amount of reading. Despite loving the typical escape rooms - the mystery story of this place is easily missed and hard to keep track of with the crazy number of people that were also there on a random Tuesday afternoon. We enjoyed our time but also found it incredibly pricey for the experience. Happy to have done it but no need to go again.

This was my first trip to House of Eternal Return and second Meow Wolf experience. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Being spring break, there were lots of young kiddos and teens about which can make or break the experience. It was also a bit toasty in some of the exhibits.
Overall, it was a fun time and I'll check out the other locations.

Great place to visit when you are in Santa Fe, NM. Be sure you allow plenty of time to explore all the nocks & crannies. Allow plenty of time. This isn't a 30 minute stop. It takes time to enjoy all three clever "art work". Even if you've been here before . . . things change. Enjoy!

A very unique experience but I have to admit that over $85 ($40 each plus tax) for two tix was a little crazy. We went on a weekday and it was still pretty crowded - we had no idea there was an entire "story" with clues until the very end and it was too packed to figure out the clues anyway. You're supposed to figure out the plot; read a some letters, find and read a whole newspaper, watch videos, and crack some secret codes but with tons of people it wasn't feasible to even try. We had fun anyway and got lots of cool pics. A few too many kids running around, adult only hours would be nice if that doesn't already exist. There are some very small, dark rooms that are awkward to walk into as a lone adult and encounter a lone child. The gift shop has some awesome local art. It is definitely claustrophobic in some parts but don't be afraid to explore and play!

The love child of a Choose Your Own Adventure Picture Book mixed with a carnival funhouse maze, Meow Wolf is to art what food truck nights are to food.

One of the coolest things is also the most maddening, especially if you are the kind of person who goes to the market and starts in one corner and snakes down every aisle until you reach the other corner. This place has no corners and it's impossible to do in order.

You might open one door that leads to another room that leads to another room that leads to the room from which you came, if not another room that brings you back to a room you will eventually reach from another room. Don't expect to see IKEA arrows on the ground- you can't really go in order... you will eventually if not repeatedly cross your own footprints, but just when you think the bag of Oreos is empty, you will find a few more cookies.

Think of it as an art exhibit you can touch, walk through, and even lounge, with lots of photo ops. We spent an easy two hours there (plus we hung out to watch a band warm up for an after-hours concert). The fun parts were the "secret" portals we found behind bookcases, refrigerators, ice machines, and washing machines. I got so accustomed to these secret doors that later, in the Plaza, I nearly broke a three-way mirror at Malouf trying to climb through and I got kicked out of San Miguel Chapel for repeatedly pressing the hands of Jesus to open the door.

It's not my fault stigmata looks like red buttons.

The place is clean and climate controlled, with friendly workers and a cool gift shop, with plenty of free parking with a few giant photo op installations and a food truck. There were maybe 14 hand sanitizing stations, but almost none of them worked. Well, this is "Art", so maybe they symbolized McDonald's ice cream machines.

Also, there's a "mystery" or a "story" that unites the journey, but if you are like me and do not want to be Scooby Doo, then Scooby Don't. I see it as a bonus for nerds who want to do extra credit homework. Unless the mystery solves why the hand sanitization machines are all broken, I don't have time for that.

Anyway, just as the Pueblo Indians envisioned, Meow Wolf was the highlight of our Santa Fe trip.

I finally made it, but as impressive and interactive as it was, it was more crowded than anything. Trying to do something without stepping over someone was just about impossible.

However, there are a lot of great things about House of Eternal Return. It's sensory overload galore, but in a good way.

There are a ton of rooms, all with different themes, which I enjoyed. The house was definitely the hot spot, and where most people were.

I loved all of the interactive elements of this Meow Wolf and how you also got to join in on the creativity. Out of all three Meow Wolfs, I think this is definitely the most interactive, which is great for the mind and soul.

All in all, this spot was great and a fun way to spend a couple hours, just be mindful that it will be busy.

Two words. Mind blown!

This immersive interactive art experience is beyond imagination and with over 70 "rooms" it's an exploration for all your senses.

My photos cannot capture the sheer wonder of discovering this creative multiverse! It's truly a journey into another time, dimension and space with many "oohs" "aahs" and gasps of delight, childish amusement and giddiness of cracking the code.

I may never recover ... and that's a good thing!

Expect to spend a good amount of time in here, so dress comfortably (thank goodness for stretch pants), wear athletic shoes and take the time to sit and absorb it all in.

A gift shop and cafe are conveniently located inside. ENJOY!

I've been here a couple times now with my husband! Once for the actual intention of walking around. We were there for almost three hours! People who have negative things to say about the place I don't really think they understand the concept of the story behind this place and how it came to be. Or how you are supposed to come together with your kind or others to try and figure out what's going on and how to find out the story throughout the entire time of walking through. You can get lost in this place. Its crazy, and endless. I want to go back by myself just to spend more time exploring. The time and effort that went into this place is exceptional. My husband and I have also been to events here for music. One being a pop up event for a listening session for Zhu and EDM artist who reached out to Meow Wolf personally. I love this place. We can't wait to experience more stuff here. It's the shit.

I could spend hours here. This place is a trip and I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone visiting the area.

My 3 year old and one year old loved it!! They explored everything, interacted with people, and climbed everything they could get their hands on.

Perfect place for a date also. The bar is a great addition with alcoholic beverages available.

Buy tickets online, go in at your time slot and enjoy the magnificent art work and imaginative designs.