Intergalactic Adventures Await
By: Amanda R Luciano
The immersive experience of Meow Wolf’s installation of Omega Mart in Area 15 district of Las Vegas, NV was by far one of the most detail oriented and engaging exhibitions I have been to. You’ll start by booking tickets online (or purchasing in-person for a slightly increased fee) for a day and time that works for you, going a ways off the strip to Area 15 and entering the enormous building that houses the exhibition. Upon entering the front of the house area, you’ll find an impressive amount of sculptural art pieces including a giant interstellar lit up tree, a cafe and gift shop with photo ops and seating all around. For a whopping $55+ dollars entry, I would expect to be adequately wowed - which, for the most part, I was.
If you spend an extra $3 in the market itself to get a Boop card, you can even become part of the workforce at Omega Mart and take advantage of additional interaction points all throughout the exhibition - which is recommended to take 2-4 hours to completely see. As a writer myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the depth of thought and detail that is put into the story as well as the make-your-own-adventure style of the whole thing. You’ll find yourself exploring more than just a market, and, if you adventure enough, you’ll even find a hidden bar within the exhibition to enjoy alien cocktails!
I especially enjoyed the social commentary on our consumerist society with witty advertising for the store’s products both within the exhibition as well as online and via their IG profile (@omegamartusa). However, for much of the story behind the evil’s and greed of Dramcorp, I was in sticker shock when paying for my own admission. While I understand that Las Vegas itself is a pricy city to visit in all respects, I think a lower price point makes more sense and aligns with the social commentary that is being made. For many, $50+ is just too much to think it is worth visiting.
Although I was disappointed at how expensive it was, it was definitely a fun way to spend an afternoon with family and friends. I appreciated how collaborative and enormous an undertaking it was to create multiple rooms of interesting and beautiful works of art. I very much enjoyed my time with my sister, who was visiting for her second time, and a couple other family members and talked much about the story as well as all the cool photos and videos I was able to get throughout my visit. If you are in the Las Vegas area, this experience is highly recommended.
