Featured image credit: DutchTreat
Los Angeles is about to get weirder… if that’s possible. And even if it isn’t, odds are good that the minds behind Meow Wolf would find a way. Back in May, the artist collective turned entertainment company announced plans to build the latest in their series of sprawling interactive art experiences in LA. The news closely followed rounds of layoffs at their established locations, creating contrasting public views on both the company’s long-term future and its employee relations. Regardless, it seems that the LA location is moving full speed ahead. But what can we expect from California’s first Meow Wolf experience?
Who or What is Meow Wolf?
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You can be forgiven for having never heard of Meow Wolf before. But, at least in America, you’re in a rapidly shrinking demographic. The initiative started simply enough: a ragtag group of artists banding together in Santa Fe, New Mexico to pool their resources against a society that didn’t always appreciate art… and even less often paid for it. But the collective had fun creating their empire. The artists behind Meow Wolf repurposed garbage and trinkets to create kaleidoscopic escapes from reality.
And they had more than a knack for it. Their creative energy snowballed into legendary DIY warehouse parties, immortalized in the documentary Origin Story. But Meow Wolf found help in a big way when they got the attention of author George R. R. Martin. Yes, the creative force behind the Game of Thrones franchise. He helped Meow Wolf elevate the scope of their first permanent installation, the now legendary House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe.
Building Onto the House of Eternal Return
House of Eternal Return opened in 2016. In less than a decade, Meow Wolf has become the first Certified B Corporation in themed entertainment. The numerous locations crafted in House of Eternal Return’s wake have garnered attention from celebrities, influencers, the media, and, most importantly, the ticket-buying public. In 2022, Meow Wolf co-founder and senior creative director Matt King unexpectedly passed away at the age of 37. Yet, even under crisis and personal hardship, the Meow Wolf brand continued to grow as an influential force in experience entertainment.
Where You Can Find Unique Meow Wolf Locations Today
Currently active Meow Wolf locations include:
- House of Eternal Return – 1352 Rufina Cir, Santa Fe, NM 87507
- Convergence Station – 1338 1st St, Denver, CO 80204
- Omega Mart – 3215 S. Rancho DR, #100, Las Vegas, NV 89102
- The Real Unreal – 3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy, Ste 253, Grapevine, TX 76051
Next on their development list is a Houston location. Then, in 2026, just 10 years after the opening of House of Eternal Return, Meow Wolf’s Los Angeles location will begin welcoming guests.
About the LA Location
Little has been revealed about the LA location. Shortly after its announcement, Meow Wolf confirmed that the new experience will reside at 6081 Center Drive in the Cinemark complex at HHLA, originally known as the Howard Hughes Center. Meow Wolf has poetically proclaimed that they were drawn to LA for its “frenetic creativity, daringness to dream, sprawling magnitude, and futuristic view.” But fans of the brand have long contemplated the possibility of an LA location. Meow Wolf is just the kind of weird that LA celebrates.
The experiential entertainment company has promised to release more details over the lead-up to the new location’s opening. In the meantime, they’ve cited a deliberate focus on the culture created by the Hollywood dream machine. By collaborating with local artists, a trademark of the Meow Wolf expansion, we can expect some authentic representation of the city’s spirit. But also in true Meow Wolf fashion, visitors may not recognize it until several months after leaving it. It’s just one of those places.
Relief Brought by Experience Entertainment
In the Los Angeles and Las Vegas commercial markets that JohnHart Commercial Real Estate serves, experience economy can bring in big money if executed well. Of course, that’s much easier said than done. As Las Vegas pivots away from its gambling history to a broader focus on general tourism, attractions like Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart have risen to be significant pulls for tourism in their own right. And as the last year or so in LA’s entertainment industry has shown us, the city’s people benefit from opportunities outside of film and television. Could experience economy offer some insulation against the famine months of the entertainment industry? Hopefully, we’ll never have to put it to the test.
