Meow Wolf was beyond anything I had imagined, and we just absolutely loved it! Even my husband, who I’ve left out of many immersive art exhibit visits, was just spellbound by the depth of the work here. It’s really just incredible! Financially backed by Game of Thrones author, George R. R. Martin, who lives in Santa Fe, and created by Santa Fe native Vince Kadlubek and some of the top young artist in New Mexico, you would expect nothing less. Meow Wolf debuted in March, 2016 and quickly exceeded it’s visitor goals, with visitors numbers constantly increasing! With all that attention, there are a few things you need to know before you go, but go you absolutely should!
Thanks to Meow Wolf for inviting us out to this one of a kind experience! They did offer complimentary admission, but I was not in any way financially compensated for this post, and as always, all opinions are my own.
Purchase your tickets online to save time at the gate. We’re not talking a few minutes, either. People stand for hours outside to get a ticket on weekends, so take a few minutes and order online. It’s a timed-ticket, so try to arrive a little early, but they won’t let you in before your ticket time.
Choose an early time to view Meow Wolf, and give yourself all day! Not only will it not be as crowded (it never really feels that crowded inside), but by arriving early, you’ll have more time to explore. And you’ll need it.
Parking is FREE, but limited.
There are some great art pieces in the parking lot giving away a hint of what you’ll find inside the House of Eternal Return, and they make for fun photo ops. There was also a food truck. Constantly trying to keep my husband and kids from getting “hangry” during outings such as these, where we spend more time searching for food than anything else, I was a little proactive and bought some tacos for them to eat right before we went inside. I also had some snacks in the car and we had a weird picnic in the shade of the food truck. It’s a good time to eat some carbs, too, because you’ll need the energy inside.
There are restrooms inside the door at Meow Wolf, but if you’re standing outside waiting for your entry, there aren’t any restrooms. A funny potty dance seemed to work for getting me inside, but once inside, you’ll definitely want to “go” before you enter the house.
More than just an exhibit, there is a story to The House of Eternal Return, and even a puzzle to be solved. Decide before you visit if you want to just be astounded by everything, or if you want to search for the clues to (try) to solve the puzzle or at least understand what has happened and who all the people are.
Especially for you first visit, you can spend joyful hours just seeing everything, searching for secret rooms and getting lost in this world without searching out any information on the family or their secrets. My husband and oldest son truly loved it, and didn’t know any of the main characters even after being inside for hours. And there is something to this philosophy on your first visit (not that we had a second one) but there is just so much to take in that if you’re searching for tiny clues you miss some of the big, grand picture of just how incredible everything here is.
My youngest was all about the story and clues, and since all children are required to be with an adult instead of just running around, I chose to stay with him and comb through letters, pictures and notes for anything giving us clues as to what happened. There are all sorts of spoilers online, and if you are someone who likes to read the last page of your book first, by all means search for them. I’m not going to give anything away, but then I’m not sure even after our visit and reading all the spoilers how much I still understand.
Children are SUPPOSE to be with you at all times. It’s almost impossible to not get turned around inside, and my son and I were separated a few times. He’s always been one to wander off, but it’s SO big with SO many people that I was concerned about finding him! We did always run back into each other, but I recommend setting a meeting place in case you do get separated. It’s also VERY easy to get turned around inside, so make it someplace central and easy to find, like the front door of the house, or the kitchen.
When you enter, you will walk up to the house, and there are side entrances, also. For the best introduction to the story and a better understanding of what is happening, go inside the house first. But spend a few minutes exploring the front porch and even the mailbox for a few clues.
Inside the house, nothing is as it seems. Most of the clues are located in the house, and you’ll see people sitting in corners searching for answers, and people just walking around enjoying the amazing details that went into the house. It’s in the house, too, where you will really get a chance to learn about the family.
Take your time while in the house. Take a seat on the couch. Spend time looking around. You’ll want to go through every door.
You never know what you might find inside the appliances, either.
Here’s a tip about the dryer. If you’re not 11, go head first. The landing is soft and much easier!
You’ll find the house is a huge portal to another world.
Maybe I’ve been to too many haunted houses, but I kept expecting to see something scary, which I never did. It’s dark in places, another reason to always keep kids nearby, but even the “weirder” things were never frightening. Still, you do get that “tingling” of what will I see!
And nothing is what it seems.
Everything is meant to be played with. It’s very appropriate for kids. There were some very young children during our visit, and they seemed to enjoy it, too. Children’ 3 and under are FREE.
You are given a pair of color-enhancing glasses when you enter, which don’t do much in the house but are pretty neat in other places!
Come prepared to climb, slide, bend and even crawl around to see everything. You’ll definitely want to wear comfortable shoes.
Suddenly you find yourself in a big room with live music and dancing. Just go with it.
Since we were searching out clues, and my husband and oldest wasn’t, we did separate from them for a while. We would pass each other and say “Did you see?”, and sometime we hadn’t. It’s easy to miss rooms and passageways.
A big plus, I had phone service the entire time we were inside, so I could text my husband on where I was, not that I ever knew how to get there.
Go with an open mind, ready to discover anything! It’s really amazing!
Before, during or after you can step out and take a break at the Gift Shop, grab a snack or even a drink. You can even step outside to the food truck or leave and go get something to eat and come back later. You wristband gives you all day admission.
Things To Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Play
Canyon Road is the cultural center of Santa Fe, with over 80 galleries, shops and restaurants!
Located on the Old Santa Fe Trail, the Santa Fe Plaza is a historic shopping and dining destination.
Don’t miss a visit to the Georgia O’Keefe Museum.
Eat
The Ranch House offers Southwestern cuisine is a neat adobe building.
Stay
La Fonda on the Plaza is a beautiful hotel on the historic Santa Fe plaza!
Meow Wolf
1352 Rufina Circle, Santa Fe New Mexico
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
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