Is Meow Wolf worth it? The short answer: yes, especially if you have a little extra cash and really love immersive art. Bonus points if you’re an amateur photographer. The long answer: it depends. We personally loved it! If you have a little time, continue reading to find out why. But, if you’re trying to make a quick decision, use the table of contents to jump around and get your answer faster.
What is Meow Wolf?
Imagine a bunch of artists specializing in 3D installations got together and said, “Hey, let’s make a gallery. Actually, why stop there? Let’s make a seemingly never-ending 30,000 square foot exhibition, and the theme will be psychedelic wonderland.”
“But wait!” one of the artists shouts, “what’s art without a good story?”
And thus, Meow Wolf is born. Okay that’s not actually how it happened, but close enough. With locations in Santa Fe (flagship attraction), Las Vegas, Denver and now Grapevine, Meow Wolf redefines storytelling by having patrons figure out the story for themselves. You walk into a huge collection of rooms, each one a marvel in its own right, and it’s up to you to figure out the mystery.
A Hint of Lore (The Real Unreal)
We refuse to give away everything! This place is best if you go in completely blind, but if you’re the kind of person who just has to know what’s going on, we will get the story started for you (but only a little)!
Each Meow Wolf location has its own story, all of them connected together by ties to the same universe and a theme of interdimensional travel. At the Grapevine location in DFW…
Okay! We got you started, but it’s up to you to figure out the rest. Or, if you run out of time like us, you can always ask a staff member to explain the entire story to you from beginning to end. 😂
Our Experience
We came in two hours before closing, but we wish we had given ourselves three hours, maybe even more. We were party of six, and we all had different goals.
- Two of us wanted to find out the story and unravel the mystery piece by piece.
- One of us wanted to take amazing photos we couldn’t get anywhere else.
- And the last three were there purely for good vibes and good art!
Almost all of us went in with no idea of what we were getting into, but that’s what made it really fun! The rooms and their layout were shocking, but in a great way. Every time we found a new entrance to some random room, we were like, wow, we did not expect this.
It was honestly so cool! It made you admire the collective of artists who put everything together. Meow Wolf is the kind of place you could visit again and again, and notice something new each time.
At the end of our visit, we were all satisfied, and I think that’s because we went in not knowing what to expect and being open to a new experience. Also, we’re all such curious people, adventurous by nature. So of course, the idea of exploring something completely foreign but infinitely delightful appealed to us.
We got lost once, maybe twice, and it was a wonderful feeling—like we were kids again, never knowing where we were, or where we were going, but happy to simply wander. Floating through a surrealist haze, we couldn’t help but appreciate the craftsmanship that went into every room. We were happy to experience the Real Unreal.
Things We Love About Meow Wolf:
- Their Values: Creative Collaboration, Provocative Playfulness, Outsiders Welcome, Authentic Compassion and Audacious Courage.
- Their Concept: We love the blend of art and story! Taking on a distinctive style, Meow Wolf creates “immersive environments that are maximalist in nature and allow for audience-driven experiences.”
- Their Community-Building: Prioritizing collaboration with local artists, Meow Wolf works with creators specializing in everything from sculpture to digital art. It’s a win, win, win. Meow Wolf attracts great talent; artists have work; and the larger community has art!
- Their Origin Story: Wow, wow, wow. It’s awesome! Watch this 3 minute video to see why.
Pssst. We also love when they run discounts! Is Meow Wolf worth it? When you don’t have to pay the sticker price, 100%! More on that in the Absolutely Need to Know section.
Basic Information
- Locations:
- The Real Unreal: 3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy, Suite 253, Grapevine, TX, 76051
- Convergence Station: 1338 1st St, Denver, CO 80204
- Omega Mart: 3215 S Rancho Dr #100, Las Vegas, NV 89102
- House of Eternal Return: 1352 Rufina Cir, Santa Fe, NM 87507
- Radio Tave: 2103 Lyons Ave. Houston, TX 77020
- Hours:
- Sunday–Thursday: 10 AM to 9 PM
- Friday–Saturday: 10 AM to 10 PM
- Prices:
- Prices and discounts vary by location! These prices reflect Grapevine.
- Adult: Starting at $40
- Child (Ages 4-12): Starting at $20
- Discounts available for Military
- Prices and discounts vary by location! These prices reflect Grapevine.
- Tickets: https://tickets.meowwolf.com/
- Official Website: https://meowwolf.com/
- Additional Information: Meow Wolf offers a sprawling interactive art experience, and each location has a cafe serving drinks and snacks in case you get hungry. And there’s a pretty sweet gift shop too! The Grapevine location happens to be in a mall, offering even more food and shopping options. Most of the locations also throw events and offer discounts. Read on to learn more.
Absolutely Need to Know
Ticket Prices Vary: Don’t assume prices always start at $40! During the month we originally wanted to go, the cheapest tickets we could find were $55, but this month, they’re back down to $40. Prices fluctuate, so keep an eye on their website and your desired dates.
Sign Up for Discounts: Meow Wolf runs specials, and trust me, you’ll want to sign up for their email list. That’s how we found out about their 3 for 2 sale! We were able to score entry for 6 people but only paid the price of 4—definitely worth it.
Events Are Always Happening: Don’t miss out! Meow Wolf hosts various events and programs throughout the year. Check out their events page to stay updated on what’s going on during your visit
Allow Time for the Storyline: Meow Wolf’s storyline spans all their locations, connecting everything to one universe. We can’t wait for the day we visit all the locations to uncover every connection! But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s talk about you. You’ll need at least a couple of hours to figure out everything. So if you’re into immersive storytelling, make sure you have enough time to explore and take in all the narrative details.
Just a Heads Up
We’ve only experienced The Real Unreal in Grapevine, but we’ve heard from friends (and people online) that the Santa Fe location is even better. The theme is quite similar, and the story is actually more built out. That said, we were beyond impressed by Grapevine, so . . . 👀
From our understanding, all the other locations have less cross-over between exhibits, making them substantially different. And you didn’t hear it from us, but guess what? Meow Wolf is opening yet another location, right here in Texas. Where you ask? Houston! Tickets go on sale October 1st, 2024!
Is Meow Wolf Worth It?
To us, yes! To you, probably still yes!
Meow Wolf was undoubtedly worth it to us for a few reasons, especially since we got that discount. With tickets less than $35 it was a no brainer! But even at a higher price, Meow Wolf is going to be worth it if you are a certain kind of person:
If you are curious and want to find out the story, and finding out that story would add to the experience for you, then you’re going to love it! Buy that ticket! If you’re like, no, I don’t work that hard unless I’m getting paid…then you’ll inevitably do less sleuthing and probably get less out of the experience. BUT if you still like taking pictures, it’ll be a great time regardless! Buy that ticket!
What if you’re just there for vibes though? Well, the vibes are pretty immaculate too! Buy that ticket! But maybe it’s just not your scene. You looked at all the pictures on this blog post, and nothing is calling out to you. You’re not excited. Fine, in that case, you can sit this one out.
Is Meow Wolf Worth It Conclusion
In conclusion, if Meow Wolf and its immersive art isn’t your scene, and you didn’t catch a deal, and you’re not really interested in playing Sherlock, and you don’t want to take a ton of photos on your phone since you never look back at them anyways, then, yeah, Meow Wolf probably isn’t worth it to you. But for everyone else, we think you should give it a try!
So what do you think? Is Meow Wolf worth it? If you still can’t decide, just drop us a comment and we will answer any questions you have. Otherwise, we trust you have everything you need to make a decision. Good luck and have fun!
Oh! And if you’re based near Grapevine and want to learn about more things to do in DFW, subscribe to our monthly newsletter. Also check out our page on things to do in Dallas and beyond!
