Santa Fe’s Trippy Art Experience Lets You Enter Alternate Dimensions

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Ever walked into an art museum and wished you could climb inside the art? In Santa Fe, Meow Wolf turned that idea into 20,000 square feet of explorable madness. The House of Eternal Return starts with a seemingly normal family home, then fractures into neon forests, alien spaces, and musical light caves, all while telling the story of quantum physics gone wrong.

Built From Santa Fe’s Trash

Built from old phones, toys, and junk from trash heaps, the team spent six months picking through dumps to find the right bits. The walls hold more than 8,000 bits of trash, each stuck on by hand. One wall has just phones from the past ten years.

When the light hits early morning, they glow like church glass. Some parts of the trash wall appear to move when you least expect it.

Look For Those Dragon Easter Eggs

When you first walk up to the Selig House, you’ll spot tiny dragons hiding all over the front yard, a small nod to Martin’s books. Count them all if you can (there’s more than ten of em). Each plant and rock was picked to hint at what waits for you inside.

The Mechanical Raven Talks to You

The big black raven in the forest? Wait a bit, and it will speak to you. Folks who don’t miss this hear weird facts and clues about the place. Made by artist Erika Wanenmacher, this smart bird’s eyes will watch you move, and there’s at least five things it might say to you.

The clues link to facts you’ll find in the VHS tapes. Its words change each month, so come back to hear what’s new.

There’s a Star Map Puzzle to Solve

Find the small room at the top of Fancy Town stairs, built by a real sky fan who works at Meow Wolf. Here, you’ll match each star map to the right set of lights.

Press them in the right way all the way through and you’ll win a small pin. Each prize ties to an old myth that you can read in the Selig house. The maps show real star sets in New Mexico’s night sky. Even the light code changes each month based on what stars shine then.

Folks who solve all the star maps can log their names in a book.

The Story Jumps to Five Other Cities

Tune in to the ETNL radio in Lucius Selig’s trailer. You’ll hear the same show that plays in Meow Wolf’s new Houston site. This link ties all six Meow Wolf spots in a big tale.

Hints from Santa Fe show up in Las Vegas, Denver, and Texas. The team plans to keep each place fresh with new rooms each year. Phone codes found in Santa Fe can be used in the Texas site, too.

Old-Time Window’s Moving Parts

Tap the glass of the old-time view in Portals Bermuda. And soon enough, you’ll wake a big bug with wings two feet wide. The mist in the scene waxes and wanes as the day goes by. If you tap the right spot, an old fern will grow right there (pretty magical).

Birds fly by now and then when you least think they will. Small fish swim in the old swamp if you look long and close. The whole view shifts each hour, so it’s quite the experience.

Them Big Bones Making Music

Hit the ribs of Joyce the mastodon, and you’ll catch musical notes. The twelve-foot beast in the cave is literally a big instrument. Matt Crimmins built this masterpiece where the bones light up every time someone hits a note, and if you play the right song, a secret door opens.

Ten bones make up the full set you can tap on. The tail bones make deep bass notes that shake the whole cave. The song that makes the door move comes from an old folk tale.

More Than 70 Rooms to Explore

You could spend the whole day and still miss some nooks. With more than 70 rooms designed by 135 artists, it’s huge. There’s no map, and you will get lost. The treehouse has six entrance paths, and one top-floor room opens only one day a month.

Old Tapes Tell the Main Tale

Look for clues in the VHS tapes at the Selig home to learn why they left. Some show the mom’s work trips in odd spot. One has the kids’ weird dreams on film. The dad’s last note tells where to find the next clue. You can piece it all step by step to solve the full tale.

The Cave Spikes Talk in Tones

This place is all about sensory recreation. The cave spikes make a sound and the shapes and marks hint at lost facts. The team spent months to get each tone right. Some make deep bass notes, while others squeal soprano. Find all nine to hear the full song.

Planning Your Visit

Address: 1352 Rufina Circle, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Contact: 1-866-636-9969 (Help team on call 10:30 am-5:30 pm MT each day)

Fees: Buy your pass online first as slots sell out fast

• Adults: $35-45 (price moves with the time of year)
• Kids (4-13): $25-35
• Kids 3 and less: Free
• Year Pass: $84 for grown-ups, $54 for kids

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