Meow Wolf – Santa Fe’s Hot New Experiential Art Installation
Only in Santa Fe: A bowling alley is turned into an artsy fun-house!
“The House of Eternal Return” is a don’t–miss, made-in-Santa Fe, artsy fun-house. Presented by Meow Wolf, a local artist collective, “House,” began with a pitch to George R. R. Martin, the author of “Game of Thrones,” and a local resident. Martin financed the purchase of a permanent home for Meow Wolf–an out-of-business bowling alley. The group first came to local attention with an earlier installation, which involved their building a ship indoors and creating an interactive fantasy-environment. “The House of Eternal Return”, which opened in March, is the same kind of project, on steroids.
From the enormous spider, Robot, and wolf sculptures which greet you in the parking lot, to the Bowling Alley entrance signs remaining in place, the experience requires you to slowly shift gravity to go a bit off-kilter. You are not given a guide. There are no signals on how to experience where you are, what you are doing. You must travel through space while lost…fantastic fun! You enter a dark passageway, open a door, and enter an environment full of questions.
Inside, a full-scale Victorian house invites you to wander through its rooms, and try to put together a story. Who lives here and what happened? Videos appear on the dining room pictures, the bathroom is an optical puzzle, and the children’s bedrooms are littered with toys, diaries-to-be-snooped into, family portraits on the wall. In the kitchen, the refrigerator suddenly opens and a little girl pops through, followed by two friends. There is a passage-way here, as well as through the fire place in the living room–into yet another world. Just one more of many for visitors to delight.
Kids of all ages will love the fun-house feel to the place. There is no right way to make your way through the installation, but there are hundreds of possibilities. The creative people at Meow Wolf say that there is a narrative to be discovered here, but you can also be happy just wandering. Through the fireplace, in the day-glo spaces beyond, is an actual performance space. A rock band was having a sound check on a recent evening. In the lobby, kegs of craft beer were being wheeled in for a party. This is a place where adults and children can wander, happily, at different paces, with different experiences. There are many nooks to hide in, places to pause and look, many ways to enjoy “The House of Eternal Return.”
Bring the family out for an experience unlike you’ve shared before and unwind after an exhilarating day at our peaceful Santa Fe bed and breakfast just a short 10 minute drive from the venue.
