Last year, Meow Wolf announced they would open two of their world renowned interactive art installations in Texas: one in Houston, and one in Dallas. There are only three other Meow Wolf locations in existence, so this is pretty monumental news for Texas!
As excitement builds for the grand opening of Meow Wolf in Dallas, I decided to round up some key FAQs for anyone who is curious. Here is everything we know so far about the Meow Wolf installation coming to Dallas, TX.
What exactly is Meow Wolf?
Meow Wolf started out as a collective for artists in Santa Fe, NM all the way back in 2008. What sets it apart from a typical art museum is that each room or passageway inside Meow Wolf is immersive: artists have created an entirely different world for guests to walk through instead of singular art pieces sitting on shelves.
Meow Wolf got its funky name at the art collective’s first meeting, where each person was asked to write a different word on two scraps of paper, and the first two scraps drawn from a hat were selected as the company name.
Over the years Meow Wolf pushed the boundaries of visual and performance art with a series of unique exhibits in their original location. They also offered a few temporary traveling exhibits across the U.S. In 2021, Meow Wolf opened two more permanent locations in Las Vegas, NV and Denver, CO, each with unique concepts and themes that differ from their Santa Fe location.
When will Meow Wolf open in Dallas?
Meow Wolf is scheduled to open in Dallas, TX on June 14, 2023.
The official opening date was announced this week, and tickets are now on sale!
Where will Meow Wolf in Dallas be located?
Meow Wolf will be located inside Grapevine Mills Mall. Construction began in Spring 2023 and their storefront space and it is listed in the Grapevine Mills map and directory. The entrance is pictured above at the top of this article.
How much will tickets to Meow Wolf in Dallas cost?
Tickets start at $45 per adult. This price point is consistent with the other three Meow Wolf locations: tickets to House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe cost $42, tickets to Omega Mart in Las Vegas cost $57, and tickets to Convergence Station in Denver cost $49.
What is inside Meow Wolf?
The most important thing we know about the latest Meow Wold location so far is that local Dallas artists have been commissioned to help work on it.
According to their website, “There will be 30 rooms—along with select sculptures and dioramas within the 29,000 sq. ft. space—dedicated to Meow Wolf artists, Texas-based artists, and other collaborating artists. In these spaces, the artists will be able to create and experiment with their unique visions as part of the broader exhibition experience.”
“Meow Wolf’s fourth permanent exhibition will feature nearly 40 collaborating artists, with 30+ artists based in Texas.” Here’s the full list of artists confirmed by Meow Wolf to be working on the exhibit:
Dan Lam, Carlos Donjuan, Adam Palmer, Will Heron, Mariell Guzman, TSZ Kam, Ryan Chen, Drigo, Riley Holloway, Brent Ozaeta, Kwinton Cray, Josh Dodson, LaShawn M. Womack, Katie Murray, Leah Flook, Temitope Olujobi, Teddy Georgia, Waggy & Alex Bhore, Alex Revier, Bryce Fletcher Hample, Diego Mireles Duran, Laura M. Latimer, Strance Scaffold, Caroline Penwarden, Eric Trich, Loc Huynh, Yana Payusova, MOM, SM Sanz, Sergio Garcia, Carmen Menza, David Last, Zeke Williams, Wanz Cover, Sara Cardona, Desiree Vaniecia, Mattie and Black Taffy, Ricardo Paniagua, Morgan Grasham.
Here are some themes and examples of what you will find as you explore each permanent Meow Wolf location.
House of Eternal Return (Santa Fe, NM)
This installation is centered around the home of the fictional Seljg family, who mysteriously disappeared after experimenting with interdimensional travel. The premise is that after their house fractured into pathways to alternate dimensions, a secret government organization stepped in and passed it off as an art installation.
Based on that storyline, guests will discover hidden doorways in each room of the house that lead into secret rooms designed for another dimension. For example, when you open an ordinary dryer in the laundry room, you will find a tunnel full of twinkling lights with a chute you can slide down to reach a room full of lost socks.
Omega Mart (Las Vegas, NV)
This installation features a grocery store that exists in an alternate dimension. It’s a blend of narrative storytelling and commerce, where guests can actually purchase the fictional items from the grocery store shelves.
Just like House of Eternal Return, Omega Mart is filled with secret passageways to explore, tucked away inside freezer doors or behind shelves stocked with cereal boxes. The installations at Omega Mart are focused on themes of consumerism and corporate responsibility layered over the trippy, psychedelic universe. Guests can interact with Omega Mart employees to ask questions that will reveal more about the meaning behind artwork.
Convergence Station (Denver, CO)
This installation is based around a Quantum Department of Transportation where you can visit four different converged universes. Some of the noteworthy exhibits include a glass cathedral-like structure with an organ that shoots lasers, an expansive cave crawling with plants and flowers from another world, and a hair salon where you can stick your head inside a hair dryer to watch an alien fashion show. Guests can interact with “QDoT” (Quantum Department of Transportation) officers, and even receive tickets for spoof “violations” like “wearing an outfit that’s too cute.”
What will be inside Meow Wolf in Dallas?
This is a mystery we can’t fully solve until Meow Wolf in Dallas opens, but we can speculate a little bit based on what we know about the other locations. (Note that these are all just hypothetical theories!)
It could be loosely thematically based on Texas culture or landmarks.
Omega Mart is based in Vegas, arguably the consumerism capital of America. Convergence Station is a trippy model to Union Station in Denver. So what psychedelic social commentary might Meow Wolf make about us in Dallas? The possibilities are endless.
It could feature a department store as the jumping off point for the adventure.
Since Meow Wolf’s “universe” includes a fictional corporation called Dramcorp that owns the Omega Mart grocery store, perhaps this corporation will add a department store to their interdimensional monopoly. Since this is the first Meow Wolf location located in a traditional shopping mall, there are lots of interesting possibilities that could branch off from that theme.
Is Meow Wolf accessible for those with disabilities?
This was one of my first questions when I noticed some of the admittedly awesome secret passageways featured in Meow Wolf. A light up slide into another dimension sounds like so much fun, but could someone in a wheelchair still participate in the exhibit?
The answer is a resounding YES! Meow Wolf offers alternative pathways into each of their hidden rooms and exhibit areas that are wheelchair accessible, as well as elevators for convenience and posted signage that warns visitors about strobing lights or loud noise for anyone with sensory sensitivity. They also offer complimentary sensory bags with noise canceling headphones, sunglasses, and fidget spinners guests can borrow for the duration of their visit.
I am so excited for Meow Wolf in Dallas to open this year!
I am thrilled that Meow Wolf chose Dallas to house one of its new locations. I will continue to keep this blog up to date as more information is released about the themes that will be explored, the official opening date, the cost of admission, and more.
For more fun things to do in Dallas, check out this page.
Related posts
ARCHIVES
[instagram-feed feed=1]
FOLLOW ME