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There is a house in Santa Fe, New
Mexico. The family that lived in it
has vanished, having disappeared
into the tangle of corridors and
rooms that spill out across space
and time. If you wander through
those 70 rooms, you will encounter
bizarre forests, banks of televi-
sions, and enormous caterpillars.
The mystery of what happened to
that family is up to you as a visitor
to solve.
"The House of Eternal Return," which
opened in 2008, is the first major
interactive art installation developed
by Meow Wolf, a Santa Fe-based
art and entertainment company
with a growing portfolio. The house,
located in Meow Wolf's headquarters
in a converted bowling alley, is an
example of a growing trend of inter-
active and experimental art spaces
that seek to draw visitors into larger
narrative experiences.
"People really like explorable sto-
rytelling experiences," explains
Joanna Garner, senior narrative
director at Meow Wolf. "When you
mix a mind-blowing visual experi-
ence with immersive and nonlinear
storytelling, you get something
really special."
Meow Wolf's installations are
designed to gently draw people into
a broader narrative, and to give
Immersive Exhibits Are
Redefining Storytelling
By Asher Elbein
Inside Meow Wolf's "The House of Eternal Return." Photo by Kate Russell Inside Meow Wolf's "The House of Eternal Return." Photo by Kate Russell
