Meow Wolf, the art and entertainment company known for its psychedelic immersive installations, will open its seventh permanent exhibition space at Pier 17 in New York’s historic Seaport. The venture was revealed at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, where Meow Wolf’s mascot, Plotzo the rat king, interrupted the “Dada for Dada: The Power of Absurdity” panel to deliver the news.
“The energy of New York City is unlike anywhere else, and it’s the perfect place for Meow Wolf, ” said Jose Tolosa, CEO of Meow Wolf. “This city has given the world so much groundbreaking art and culture, and as someone who has proudly called New York City home for over 10 years, I’m beyond thrilled that we’re bringing something truly unique to the greatest city in the world.”
Launched in Santa Fe in 2008, Meow Wolf was originally founded as an artist collective by Sean Di Ianni, Caity Kennedy, Benji Geary, Matt King, Corvas Brinkerhoff, Emily Montoya, and Vince Kadlubek. The team hoped to cultivate an alternative art space in Santa Fe, eventually staging several major installation projects across the United States.
In 2016, the collective launched its first permanent exhibition in Santa Fe, “House of Eternal Return.” Since then, Meow Wolf has expanded its reach to cities including Las Vegas and Denver in 2021, Dallas in 2023, and Houston in 2024, with planned locations in Los Angeles and now New York. These exhibitions combine elements of theater production, art museums, and amusement parks to create an immersive narrative. To create these spaces, the organization taps local artists. For instance, the Sante Fe installation was created by more than 135 artists.
“New York has always been a city that thrives on reinvention, making it the perfect place for Meow Wolf’s next evolution, ” said Kadlubek, who serves as Meow Wolf’s chief vision officer. “I’ve been closely involved in bringing this to life, and I couldn’t be more excited. We’re creating something with a level of creative ambition and next-generation storytelling that pushes beyond anything we’ve done before—an experience that truly belongs in this city.”
The Los Angeles location is slated to open in 2026. The theme and opening date for New York have yet to be announced.
