Meow Wolf Denver: What's it like to visit with kids?

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Enthralling art, plus families, equals an immersive day far out

A wander through any of Meow Wolf’s installations can feel like you’ve slipped through a trapdoor and landed inside the vibrant mind of a dayglow artistic genius. Whether the original Santa Fe location, Omega Mart in Las Vegas, or The Real Unreal in Grapevine, Texas, Meow Wolf brings together multiple artistic styles and visions, all underlaid with a unifying story or other element. In Colorado, Convergence Station, or Meow Wolf Denver, was our first Meow Wolf experience—and it has both us and our two kids ready for more.

It’s also like nothing else we’ve experienced, and odds are it’s not like anything you’ve experienced either.

It’s also natural to wonder if going to Meow Wolf Denver as a parent is a good thing to do with your kids. We wondered the same thing. But after a 2022 visit to the Meow Wolf Convergence Station in Denver, Colorado, we can safely say that Meow Wolf is not only one of many good things to do in Denver with kids. Meow Wolf is a playground, an art experience, and an imagination blower-upper. It will have the entire family talking and pondering for long after you leave Meow Wolf and travel back to the regular world.

“Meow Wolf is a playground, an art experience, and an imagination blower-upper. It will have the entire family talking and pondering for long after you leave Meow Wolf and return to the regular world.”

Why we wanted to go to Meow Wolf Denver with our kids

It’s not uncommon for parents to wonder if Meow Wolf is family friendly. The installations can seem mature, and some of them are quite thought-provoking. This is not a Chuck E. Cheese. It’s not a brightly colored day care. But Meow Wolf is something the entire family can enjoy, including younger kids.

Hearing about Meow Wolf from one of Jodie’s cousins piqued our interest. And so, one hot June day in Denver, the four of us—Anthony, Jodie, 10-year-old Connor and 7-year-old Aster—stood inside a white entry hall. Beyond its doors, a world of pure imagination beckoned. Though before we went inside, we were also quite happy to sit a bit on the iridescent benches with cushions that shimmered like rainbows.

Sensory overload? Prep your kids in advance for an intense yet welcoming space

Visually, Meow Wolf Denver has a lot going on. Engaging, intricate exhibits mesh with bright colors. However, the main sensory stimulation is the visual. Convergence Station didn’t work in a scent component. Some exhibits have a tactile or touch element. You mostly wander through the spaces and check things out with your sight, hearing, and imagination.

Some areas have background music, but other than the sound of your fellow visitors, Convergence Station itself is pretty chill for your ears.

The immersive scale of Meow Wolf can feel intimidating to some kids. It could be helpful to talk with your children some beforehand, especially if they can be prone to feeling anxious in new or intense spaces.

Meow Wolf is a full-on sensory experience. It’s also welcoming. At 10 and 7, our kids went full-on into the immersion of Meow Wolf. However, we can imagine back to younger ages when the visual intensity could have been scary.

Convergence Station also has areas in between exhibits where you can find calm spaces. These are opportunities to take quiet time with your child, check in, or soothe anxiety or overwhelm. Before you know it, odds are your kid will be ready to bound into the next imagination zone. Sensory kits are also available in the lobby.

“Trying to talk about experiencing Meow Wolf is like trying to turn your eyesight into poetry.”

Our family’s Meow Wolf Denver experience at Convergence Station

Have you ever had that feeling that your mind is so big that you can’t believe it fits inside your brain? Being inside Convergence Station is like being in the midst of a vast imagination that has come to life, taken form, and invited you for tea.

It’s also the sort of place that doesn’t deserve to be spoilered, but experienced. So instead of giving some sort of blow by blow or room by room take, we’re going to share a few snippets, impressions, and observations.

Sitting inside a control booth for a robot on another world.

A space lit with pink light, between columns, where light and music came together at a panel you could play.

Behind the steering wheel of a truck with a front end that looks like a smiling, bright eyed fish that’s puckering up for a kiss.

A room that’s tall and airy, yet feels like you’re in an underwater garden and cathedral. Inside is a small chamber where the kids loved to sit. Even though bright, colorful lights ran through it like pipes and veins, the space was calming, even meditative.

Mirror maze funhouse.

Pizza monsters.

A Rapunzel mermaid with waterfall hair like fiber optic light.

Jellyfish chandeliers.

See what we mean? There’s an old saying that writing about jazz is like dancing about architecture. Trying to talk about experiencing Meow Wolf is like trying to turn your eyesight into poetry.

And what’s especially lovely?

When you really need a quiet moment, the book room is your friend. Some books and areas in the book room give you more insight into the story underlying Convergence Station. But for us, the key was the brown leather couch, set in a nook underneath an arch, all constructed from arranged books.

“Being inside Convergence Station is like being in the midst of a vast imagination that has come to life, taken form, and invited you for tea.”

What we would do differently next time

Going through something like Meow Wolf can be so free form that it feels overwhelming. We really enjoyed letting the paths guide us from room to room, display to display, installation to installation, and surprise to surprise.

However, when we go to Convergence Station again, we plan to try out the QPASS. You can buy one of these chip cards when you get your tickets. They’re only a few bucks, and the entire family can share one.

QPASS builds on the overall Convergence Station story. We’d check it out on our next visit to add some more cohesion and a fresh element of engagement to our Convergence Station experience.

Nuts and bolts

The Convergence Station website and the Meow Wolf FAQ answer most of your specific questions about Meow Wolf.

Paid parking is available onsite, and there is a cafe and gift shop in the lobby as well. Food and drink aren’t allowed inside the exhibit area, so we’d suggest taking care of snacks and meals before heading inside the installation.

Restrooms (with changing facilities) are in the lobby and throughout the exhibit area too.

You don’t need a golden ticket to visit this world of pure imagination

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Meow Wolf inspired us and zapped like lightning into our senses. Convergence Station gave us lots to talk about and had us ready for a nap when we finished. It was intense and invigorating, all at the same time.

Meow Wolf, simply, is its own world of pure imagination. Convergence Station inspired the kids and gave them a full-on sensory experience. It was exciting, with moments of chill.

It’s somewhere we can’t wait to return to, and find out what happens the next time we open our minds inside of Denver’s Convergence Station.