Meow Wolf-Santa Fe

Once in Santa Fe, Caroline was eager to take me to Meow Wolf- an interactive art experience. She had visited this exhibit earlier with a friend who lived here for a while. I am honored that she wanted to share this experience with me. This particular exhibit is entitled ” House of Eternal Return.” This art display features a form of story telling which is non-linear (for sure), including individual analysis, and exploration. One does not sit on a bench and ponder the meaning of a painting at Meow Wolf. One actively touches, reads, climbs, walks and yes slides through this exhibit.

After paying our entrance fee and putting on our admittance bracelets, we walked through a door into another dimension. We started at the front porch of a Victorian house. There was a letter in the mailbox which gave us little explanation as to what we were going to see. The note informed visitors that something happened to the Selig family in their home which defies time and space. Guests are encouraged to pass through a variety of doorways, portals and secret passageways to solve the mystery of the missing Selig family. Where did they go? Who are the Seligs? Why did people in white lab coats take over their home? These are the questions we were tasked with answering.

I love a good mystery and art–I was ready for my immersive experience. Or so I thought…

I noticed a passage way through a fireplace and through the refrigerator door. These were fairly simple to explore.

We were encouraged to open drawers, read the notes on the refrigerator door and examine anything and everything left behind by the Selig family. Below is a dinosaur model left on a table in one of the rooms.

When we walked through one of the portals, we saw a larger dinosaur model in which we could stand. There was a mallet which could be used to pound on each of the ribs to make a sound much like a very large xylophone. I tried to play Happy Birthday but failed miserably. Apparently dinosaur ribs are not ordered like piano keys!

Looking back at the photograhs, I see that the dinosaur changes colors. Blue above and magenta below. I hadn’t noticed that while visiting.

The most memorable event was the washing machine slide. How exciting to think that just by opening the door of the washing machine we could exit our chores and end up in another world or at least in another room. Caroline left me for a few moments to ponder this exhibit. Before I knew it her head was popping out the door. She had crawled up the slide and wanted to help me go down the slide.

I am not very flexible. I can play tennis or pickle ball all day long, but try to get me bending on a yoga mat and my body screams. Caroline enlisted the help of an innocent bystander to assist in folding my body into the washing machine. We tried several methods and finally resorted to my sitting on the floor with my feet in the machine. Caroline and the sweet woman, who suggested I take yoga, lifted me up and away I went into another dimension. We had a great laugh and I hope my daughter will remember me as someone who tried something different and difficult and humiliating just to to make her happy!

We continued to explore the two story house for about ninety minutes. I never did solve the mystery of the Selig family. After several runs through the house I began to feel disoriented and discombobulated–Caroline guided me to the gift shop and finally to the car.

We were both happy and satisfied that we had filled our day with many lovely experiences and sights. Little did we know that we would have a wonderful dinner in a restaurant seated next to a famous movie star. My friend Rich likes to say “Never a dull moment with the Poole’s.” He is absolutely correct. More on our chance encounter with a movie star coming soon!

Joy