Meow Wolf Santa Fe: The House of Eternal Return
“Only the madman is absolutely sure.” This quote perfectly encapsulates what I felt as I ventured through “The House of Eternal Return,” the Meow Wolf immersive museum experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Meow Wolf: The House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, NM
By Jackson N., KIDS FIRST!
With twists and turns at every corner, one can’t take it all in on a single visit. With room after room of liminal spaces and wild, dreamlike locations, Meow Wolf makes you feel as though you are on an alien planet far away or that you have stepped inside the mind of the madman.
In addition to its Santa Fe location Meow Wolf has outlets in Denver, CO, Las Vegas, NV, Grapevine, TX, and Houston, TX – with more being built.
At the House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, the story follows the disappearance of the Selig family, who have left their house by the time you arrive and you can explore various nooks and crannies to find clues as to what happened. You open cabinets, the mailbox, and especially the refrigerator to uncover the secrets and dive headlong into creating your own interpretation. Oh, and make sure to gaze deeply into the family’s toilet.
The beauty of the experience is that each visitor can decide how deeply they want to go. Some walk away after hours with a well conceived, crisp theory about what happened. Others look at each room or space as its own playground, dancing around the edges of the family’s story. Both extremes and everything in between are fine – and a big reason this place is so great. Everything is yours to explore – in whatever way you prefer!
There is so much to do at the House of Eternal Return. A fun, seemingly never-ending activity is searching for Nimsesku, the family hamster, and his many multiverse-created twins. You can also read Dr. Selig’s notes on the mysterious events of the house if you want to form your own theory about what went down. Or, just walk around and look at the beautiful and immersive world that makes up the initial Meow Wolf.
The Meow Wolf message is that creativity and imagination are limitless. Parents should be aware that there are themes centered around a missing child and that traversing the space requires good shoes and awareness of your surroundings as some surfaces are uneven and others are rather tight spaces. In the weeks before Halloween, Meow Wolf will feature the customs that have been created by the imaginative and talented artists as part of “Cosmic Howl,” offering a great way to get into the Halloween spirit!
I give Meow Wolf 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it for ages 2 through 18, plus adults. The Santa Fe The House of Eternal Return is located at 1352 Rufina Cir, Santa Fe, NM 87507 and is open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
