Amazing and Fun Attractions Created by Artists

Looking for something different to do on your next vacation? Art collectives, like Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, may just offer the experiences you’re craving. From new worlds to new ways of experiencing the ordinary, these three immersive attractions will make a lasting impression.

House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe. All photos by Teresa Bitler

House of Eternal Return

Something happened to the Selig family, the fictional inhabitants of Meow Wolf’s first permanent project, House of Eternal Return, and it’s up to you to figure out what. Read their diaries, poke around on their computers or head straight for the wormholes, like the one in the refrigerator, that lead to another dimension.

Younger kids can bang out a tune on the glowing ribs of a mastodon, wander through an oversized (and waterless) aquarium and come face to face with a hairy, horned (but not too scary) alien. Older family members will lose themselves in the mystery — and, yes, there is an explanation.

House of Eternal Return

The House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe has been so popular Meow Wolf is expanding the concept. Watch for Area 15, described as an “immersive bazaar,” to open in Las Vegas in 2020 and the five-story Meow Wolf Denver to open in 2021.

Evermore

Located just north of Provo, Utah, Evermore is a Renaissance fair on steroids created by Hollywood set designers and make-up artists. Dwarfs, goblins, fairies, elves, dragon trainers and other fantastical characters roam this European-themed village, and if you ask them, some will even give you quests to complete during your visit. You can also participate in axe-throwing and archery in the summer and ice skating and winter activities around the holidays.

Evermore is open seasonally in the summer, fall and winter, and each season features its own storyline. The summertime adventure, Mythos, celebrates dragons and fairies while the fall-themed Lore is darker and maybe even a little scary for younger family members. Winter-themed Aurora brings Dickensian cheer to Evermore.

Color Factory

You don’t have to enter another world to experience color in a whole new way at the Color Factory in New York City. This interactive, 20,000-square-foot space is filled with art installations encouraging you to look, listen, touch, taste and even smell as you explore color.

Don’t worry that it will be too “artsy.” Your kids will love sampling colorful macrons, dancing on a luminous floor and diving into a pit of balls. (And you will, too!) Plan to spend at least an hour at the Color Factory, and on your way out, grab a Color Map to discover the colors in New York City that inspired those in the art installations.