➖ To follow the story, we had to pull our gaze away from the space and over to our phones. We appreciated the opportunity to spend more time digging deeper.
We came to understand the main story beats by fully engaging with the space. That said, story foraging was not essential to appreciating the art or enjoying the experience. There was a mystery to uncover for those seeking it out. ➕ Meow Wolf built a story into The House of Eternal Return. We didn’t see the value in paying extra (and exchanging currency!) for these. They only seemed necessary for a few select areas (arcade and photo booth) so we just ignored them. And we were often unsure what was meant to be a puzzle. Even after unlocking a lock with the correct code, we couldn’t understand why that code, from that place.
➖ However, in many instances the puzzle aspect felt unfair. We loved plotting our course through this puzzle. ➕ From a gameplay standpoint, one room excelled. We couldn’t tell if these were broken, or the interaction design lacked clarity. Sometimes buttons didn’t yield… anything. Throughout The House of Eternal Return interactions lacked feedback. ➕ The musical interactions struck the right chord on multiple occasions. For the most part (with the exception of some wear), the builds held up. Each space within The House of Eternal Return was designed to be explored, touched, and even prodded for deeper meaning. ➕ The transitions between the house and the alternate dimension were silly and fun. From within the house, there were multiple delightful ways to open up the world beyond. We entered a two-story house that felt lived in. ➕ The initial set and story provided the perfect backdrop for the discovery that would follow. We could tell the artist had thought about the piece from every angle and imbued it with their skill and idiosyncrasy. The longer we lingered, the more we noticed and appreciated about any given installation. We never knew what would be behind the next door. Go there and experience it for yourself (preferably on a weekday–Monday was a joy.) Meow Wolf will make many other experiences, and my guess is that plenty of other organizations will create their own versions of the concept, but I doubt that there will ever be another place like The House of Eternal Return. The House of Eternal Return feels like Meow Wolf’s incredible and soulful first album… the one they made without the pressures of expectations, the burden of profit margins, or the weight of having to “do it the right way.” Ride the waves of wonder, swim with the current, and if something feels like it’s resisting too much, disregard it… There’s always something wondrous around the next corner anyway. The best lesson that I took away from these frustrations was to dip my toe into any given interaction… and then decide if I want to wade in more deeply, or just move on. I frequently felt like the puzzles and interactions weren’t designed or built for the kind of scale that The House of Eternal Return operates at. Similarly, there were interactions that felt janky or broken. At worst they became an agitation that drew too much attention away from the world, the vibe, and the wonder. There were puzzles, gameplay, and story elements that felt clunky to engage with. That’s not to say that The House of Eternal Return was perfect… it wasn’t. We ended up staying until we were too tired and hungry to continue. We might not enjoy it… it was possible that we’d leave early… When we landed in Santa Fe, got in our rental car, and drove to the famed immersive art installation, we all acknowledged that it might be overhyped. We’ve watched the documentary, had conversations with some of the artists behind it, and heard tales of many of its wonders.
For years people have told us we need to go. The House of Eternal Return, the original Meow Wolf, was the most hyped up experience that I’ve ever set foot in. Physical Restraints: No Physical Restraints REA Reaction To experience the entire exhibit you’ll need to go up and down stairs. Price: $35-$40 per adult (less for children, seniors, and military)Īccessibility Consideration: The first floor of the exhibit, which features the majority of the installation, meets ADA standards and is accessible. Duration: We recommend at least 2 hours, possibly many more.
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