Meow Wolf began in 2008 as a Santa Fe artist collective producing DIY events and installations. They were talented but broke, creating ambitious work in warehouses and abandoned buildings. Their reputation grew locally, but they couldn't afford permanent space. In 2015, George R.R. Martin, who had moved to Santa Fe years earlier, offered to purchase a defunct bowling alley and let Meow Wolf transform it. The offer was extraordinary: $2.7 million for the building, creative freedom, and Martin's promotional support. The collective went from scrappy artists to major cultural producers overnight. They hired 135 collaborators and spent a year building their vision.

The installation begins with a Victorian house - the Selig family home, transplanted whole into the bowling alley. Visitors explore the house's rooms, discovering that each contains a portal to another dimension. The refrigerator leads to a glowing ice cave. The fireplace opens onto a forest. The washing machine connects to a submarine. The dimensions are wildly different: alien landscapes, organic caverns, neon-lit streets. Each was created by different artists within the collective, unified by a loose narrative about the Seligs' experiments with interdimensional travel. Exploration is non-linear; visitors choose their own path through dozens of interconnected spaces.

House of Eternal Return is designed for interaction. Musical instruments made from strange materials can be played. Hidden passages reward curious visitors. Climbing, crawling, and touching are encouraged. The narrative - pieced together from letters, objects, and computer terminals - is optional; many visitors ignore it entirely, absorbed in the sensory experience. Children love it; adults rediscover childlike wonder. The installation rewards multiple visits; there's too much to see in one trip, and details change over time. Photography is encouraged; the spaces are designed to be Instagram-worthy without feeling calculated. The experience is joyful, strange, and slightly disorienting - like being inside someone else's dream.

Meow Wolf's success in Santa Fe enabled expansion. Omega Mart opened in Las Vegas in 2021 - a fake supermarket hiding portals to surreal worlds. Convergence Station opened in Denver the same year. A Houston location followed. Each installation is different, created by new teams of artists, unified by the Meow Wolf aesthetic: immersive, interactive, weird. The company raised hundreds of millions in investment. The artist collective became a corporation, with all the attendant tensions. Critics debate whether Meow Wolf is art, entertainment, or both. Visitors don't seem to care about categories. They just want to climb through the refrigerator.

Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return is located at 1352 Rufina Circle in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The installation is open daily; timed tickets should be purchased in advance, especially for weekends and holidays. Allow at least 2-3 hours. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for climbing. Photography is permitted. The gift shop is extensive. Food trucks often gather outside. Santa Fe's downtown plaza, museums, and galleries are 10 minutes away. Albuquerque International Sunport is 60 miles south. Santa Fe has a small airport with limited commercial service. The experience works for all ages but appeals especially to those willing to crawl, climb, and explore.