Meow Wolf: An Immersive Experience In Santa Fe

Meow Wolf is not your typical Santa Fe, New Mexico find. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Santa Fe is filled with world class museums with incredible artists like Georgia O’Keeffe or Folk Art to explore. Meow Wolf is not really a museum, but rather “The House,” an experience that is going to leave you asking more questions then when you entered and begging to return.

When looking for things to do in Santa Fe, NM, Meow Wolf should be at the top of your list. 

I want to convey that what Meow Wolf is to me is an artistic experience. I don’t want to downplay how awesome going through this is. This experience should be on EVERYONE’S list of things to do in Santa Fe – its that cool. Immersive art experiences have blown up over the last couple years and for good reason – people enjoy doing something different and experiencing something outside of reality. I think Meow Wolf in Santa is perfect because its offering its visitors something entirely different to do that is unlike anything else.

If you are wondering how Instagrammable Meow Wolf is, don’t you worry. There are so many places to photography yourself and the installations.

What is Meow Wolf?

The easy explanation: this is a non-linear form of storytelling of the Selig Family through art displayed through creativity and discovery over 20,000 square feet of space. In other words, when you enter the experience, you can take on any direction you so choose as there are tons of rooms and secret passage ways. There is no right or wrong way to participate in this immersive display of art. Almost like a choose your own adventure, there are no rules in the path you take. You can walk, crawl and climb your way through this massive installation in search of answers.

What is so fascinating about Meow Wolf is the non-linear story line. There is a story in there that is being told and I firmly believe you need to go multiple times to figure it out, but even if you don’t have the time to figure out the story, visiting is so fun. You will find clues throughout the house everywhere you turn.

What you should expect is to feel like Alice in Wonderland and you just fell down the hole. That is probably the easiest way to explain what you will experience. I remember going with a group and we all tried to come up with “what did we just experience?” It is truly unbelievable.

I remember walking through certain areas and I felt like things I grew up with were being portrayed in this experience. I grew up watching movies like The Goonies and Little Monsters. I could see similarities from the movies in Meow Wolf. If you have seen these movies, you will know exactly what I am talking about.

In one area there is an organ made out of bones, just like in The Goonies when the kids are trying to get through to the treasure. There’s also a large area that looks like the landscape of whats under the bed in Little Monsters. I don’t know if that was the intention, but those are the vibes I got from my visit – and I loved it.

What Meow Wolf is Not:

 

 

 

I was surprised to find this in Santa Fe as I don’t feel like it fits the vibe of the city, BUT Meow Wolf is exactly what Santa Fe needs! Don’t expect to enter this experience looking for fine art, notable pieces through history or precious jewels. But also don’t touch anything that isn’t intended to be touched because it is the art work of someone who put this masterpiece together.

What Is The Story Being Told In Meow Wolf?

That is actually a fantastic question. To be honest, I do not know what the story is inside. I would need to spend multiple visits in there really learning and trying to understand. There are clues in every room, you just have to look. Don;t be afraid to pick up a book, watch the TV, open the fridge, look in spaces, etc. You don’t know what is hiding for you in Meow Wolf.

I don’t want to give anything away, but definitely plan to spend some time at Meow Wolf on your visit. If you aren’t interested in the story line, that’s OK. You don’t have to follow the story to enjoy the marvels in front of you.

*Tip: if you ARE interested in trying to follow the story (and I hope you are), check the mailbox when you first walk in. That is what I did and I was one hundred percent vested in trying to figure out what happened to the Selig Family after that.

How Did Meow Wolf Get Its Name?

The naming convention of Meow Wolf is how most companies don’t name themselves. They wrote random words in a hat and the two words that came out were “Meow Wolf” and so it was born.

Additional Information:

• Address: 1352 Rufina Cir, Santa Fe, NM 87507
• Phone: (505) 395-6369
• Parking: on site and free
• Get tickets in advance —> here
• Children under 3 get free admission
• Dates closed: Thanksgiving and Christmas and shorter hours on other holidays

Pins for your Pinterest:

*Disclaimer: I was hosted by the Santa Fe Tourism Board, but as always, opinions are entirely my own.