For over a year, construction has been happening at a warehouse space across from St. Arnold’s Brewery in East Downtown Houston. Shortly before Halloween, invites were sent out to media to preview what was quickly coming to completion. While many came with eager expectation, others arrived having no real clue what they were about to enter. I was one of those people who got to experience Meow Wolf for the first time, and after spending a few hours getting lost within its winding halls, I can’t wait to go back.
Meow Wolf is a completely interactive space started by a Santa Fe collective of graphic designers, technologist, writers, painters, sculptors with a focus on two words: “completely interactive.” Houston is one of six locations, officially opening its doors on Halloween night. Each location tells its own unique story of mundane life being transported into the otherworldly. The original location in Santa Fe is called “The House of Eternal Return” where a suburban house is sucked into a portal. Las Vegas’s “Omega Mart” tells the story of a supermarket sucked into a portal. And Houston’s “Radio Tave” tells the story of a radio station that (you guessed it) got sucked into a portal. It is interactive, trippy, immersive, overwhelming, breathtaking, and if this is your thing, an event space that will have you coming back for more. I spent two hours in the space and felt like I barely scratched the surface of what the space had to offer.
When I say the space is interactive and immersive I mean you can walk into a radio station breakroom styled like the 1970’s, open a refrigerator door, walk through that door, and find yourself in a space that feels like the upside-down world from Stranger Things. Meow Wolf does pop ups, but many of their locations, like Houston’s Radio Tave, are permanent. The winding story allows for the organizers to display a variety of artwork. Janell Langford’s Obsidiodyssey is a focus on the highs and lows of the creative process. Guests walk through rooms ranging in tone and feeling. The largest room’s focal point is a DJ booth that controls the images displayed on the walls and the music blasting through the room. There’s an arcade with music created by Fat Tony and an interdimensional dive bar called Cowboix Hevvven, which is a mix of the western Texas last chance saloon and psychedelic waiting room for the afterlife. The result is something that is truly hard to fully picture until you see it.
“I had heard of [Meow Wolf] and I would see friends posting about it on social media,” says Dawn Okoro, an Austin based artist who’s work “The Liberty Vault” is housed at Radio Tave. “I thought it was interesting and wondered if I would be able to work with them one day. In 2023, I received an email from the curator of the Santa Fe exhibit, Han Sayles, about providing work for the Houston location.”
The work she provided was an expansion on her “Punk Noir” exhibit and is an ode to the punk music roots of Texas. The images of people flying about the gold room is equally its own showcase and an intricate part of Radio Tave as a whole. For Okoro the newest addition to Meow Wolf is another opportunity for the Texas art world.
“It is great to see the growth. It is great to see artist that are here in Texas get the opportunity to be on a platform to show their stuff. Things like Meow Wolf allow for that. Places like Austin are experiencing exponential growth in the art community.”
The art in Meow Wolf’s spaces doesn’t just hang on the walls—it surrounds you, engulfs you, and invites you to be part of its surreal narratives. You’re not just a spectator; you’re a participant in a story that’s constantly unfolding with every step you take. The blend of artists, musicians, and designers is what brings this universe to life, and each piece tells its own story, and yet seamlessly contributes to the grander narrative of the space.
Radio Tave is open 12pm – 8pm Monday through Wednesday with later hours Thursday through Saturday. General admission is $40, but if you plan on coming back, splurge for the annual pass. It is hard to capture everything in one visit.
