By Jeanni Ritchie
Meow Wolf Houston isn’t your typical art museum. Tucked into 30,000+ square feet of converted warehouse space in the city’s historic Fifth Ward, it’s a walk-through fantasy where nothing is what it seems. Each Meow Wolf across the country tells its own story, and Houston’s is centered on a fictional radio station. Step inside and you can spin records, mix tunes, and then tumble headfirst into a world that feels like the improbable lovechild of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and Alice’s Wonderland.
Secret doors open into neon passageways, and every hallway teases another surprise. I even ended up making two different videos because there was just too much to capture in one visit. After two hours—that could have easily stretched to six—I am still not positive I saw it all.
One of my favorite moments came when I opened a refrigerator door and discovered it was actually a portal into a secret hallway. Another was wandering through the “studio receptionist” room, where kids stared in awe at cassette tapes and eight tracks. “They really had these?” they asked, as parents laughed and shared their own stories. It was in that room I first saw — and quickly stole — the line: my brain has too many tabs open.
But nothing topped the black light room. I snapped a selfie there that made my teeth glow like Ross Geller’s teeth bleaching experiment in Season 6 — a hilarious photo I’ll forever treasure.
Know Before You Go
• Location: 2103 Lyons Ave., Houston’s Fifth Ward
• Tickets: Starting around $40 (buy online; time slots do sell out)
• Hours: Vary by date; check the calendar before you go
• Accessibility: All Meow Wolf sites are Certified Autism Centers™, with sensory-friendly supports available
• Time on Site: Plan for at least 2–3 hours
Meow Wolf locations in the U.S.:
• House of Eternal Return — Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Omega Mart — Las Vegas, Nevada
• Convergence Station — Denver, Colorado
• The Real Unreal — Grapevine (DFW), Texas
• Radio Tave — Houston, Texas
Meow Wolf Houston is psychedelic fun at its finest — a kaleidoscope of sound, color, and imagination. You don’t need to buy a Wonka Bar to get your golden ticket, just check out www.meowwolf.com. Houston has never looked more wonderfully weird.
Jeanni Ritchie is a travel writer from Central Louisiana. She delights in finding the weird, wacky, and wild while exploring new cities.
