Autism and Sensory Guide For Visiting Meow Wolf

*(this wiki is written by fans, not Meow Wolf)*

### **Introduction:**

**"Sensory Days" are irregular:** Meow Wolf sporadically/occasionally does sensory days but it's kind of random. Your best bet is to contact the location and/or check the online events calendar.

**Taking a break from the exhibit:** Denver, Santa Fe, and Grapevine have lobbies and cafes inside the building where you can take a break from the exhibit before going back for more. Unfortunately in Las Vegas the iconic Omega Mart "sales floor" area doubles as the entry lobby which is a very high stimulation space. Meow Wolf does not allow exit from their building and then re-entry, you must stay inside their building for the duration of your visit. There is a dedicated section below listing calming/soothing art-rooms in each exhibit.

**Sensory Kits:** All locations offer free "sensory kits" for check-out which include sunglasses for adults and children, Noise Reduction Headsets for adults and children, and Fidget Toys and Spinners. There are conflicting reports online about the noise reduction headsets just being simple earmuffs rather than noise-cancelling headphones. Guests are also welcome to bring any of these items from home, including your own noise-cancelling headphones.

**Crowds:** Meow Wolf is a major tourist attraction and can get extremely crowded at peak season and days/times. However at off-peak times you may enjoy the feeling of practically having the place to yourself. Weekdays and mornings are recommended, as is avoiding holidays.

**No Printed Maps:** Many Meow Wolf fans find that getting lost and wandering is part of the "magic" of what makes Meow Wolf enjoyable. Unfortunately that also means Meow Wolf purposely doesn't offer floorplans or maps.

**Employees:** Long before they became Autism Certified, Meow Wolf employees have always been great resources for guests needing special assistance. Even if an employee appears to be portraying a character, feel free to ask for exactly what you need. Security employees inside the exhibit are also well trained to be helpful and they won't have a "mall cop attitude."

### **Lights/Noises/Effects:**

Many rooms have low/colored/theatrical lighting. Many spaces have their own ambient soundtracks meant to compliment the room's art, a couple of these can sometimes get a bit loud.

**Tight Spaces:** Santa Fe being the older and smallest location has many tight spaces, particularly catwalks on the 2nd floor of the forest. Denver and Las Vegas better conform to ADA accessibility and thus every room has a wide and flat circulation path. Las Vegas and Denver do still have crawl-thru elements but in all cases there is always a walking path to the same destination. Grapevine has rekindled the spirit of Santa Fe and has many small rooms and nooks, but a ADA compliant path is always provided.

**Noise Level:** Every large main themed space in Meow Wolf has atmospheric sound effects of a decibel level akin to a busy grocery store. Some individual rooms will be louder, in Denver these include Gremlin Symphony, The Perplexiplex , Aquacota, Pizza Pals Playzone, and Vertimetric. In Santa Fe rooms are generally much less noisy with only Trash Temple being consistently loud, however when specific puzzles are solved/activated the following Santa Fe rooms can be noisy during the effects sequence: Wilderness Room, CJ's Temporal Lobby, and the Charter Office. Las Vegas' sound level is pretty steady, however visitors solving the puzzles will sometimes trigger a minute-long "takeover" sequence that plays on TVs in the "sales floor" area.

**Sudden Unexpected Noises and Effects:** There are no sudden "explosion" type effects, but in many rooms when a puzzle is solved special light/sound effects will trigger. Meow Wolf is not a haunted house, there are no "jump scares." Any rooms with strobe effects are labeled as such on the door.

**[NEW] Grapevine "Lightning Collector" Room:** The new "Lightning Collector" room at Grapevine is unique as the only loud and startling room Meow Wolf has created by an order of magnitude. The room is located on the 1st floor of the Grapevine location and is filled/decorated with large electrical equipment designed to "collect" lightning. The room has a puzzle activation which when triggered plays a minute long sequence of lightning/thunder effects including both flashes and loud sudden sounds. Effects come from various equipment around the room and also the ceiling. The room has two doors, one of which is open at all times, so being able to exit quickly is not a problem. That said, the room does contain a puzzle activation which can be tremendously rewarding and enjoyable to play with and for many guests is viewed as one of the most memorable rooms at Grapevine.

**Wall Texture**: There are *many* rooms with highly textured walls in every Meow Wolf location, some of these rooms are wide/spacious, and others can be narrow crowded hallways where on a busy day you might be jostled into touching a wall.

**Fragrance:** Denver and Las Vegas do not use fragrance. In Santa Fe this small room has a strong sugary/candy scent filling the room. At Grapevine the beehive area in the garden has a mild honey fragrance.

**Fog:** Denver and Grapevine do not use fog. In Santa Fe fog is only used in the laser harp room. In Las Vegas fog is used in the DramCorp offices/desk/cubicle area, and also in laser harp room. No that's not a typo, both cities have laser harps.

### **Denver - Low Stimulation Rooms:**

On the 3rd floor the "blue tile spa" room is dimly lit, has lots of seating and the soundtrack is low and soothing. Numina (the swamp/forest) has many small seating nooks scattered around the lowest level. The 5th floor hallway above/looking down on C-Street has pleasant lighting, is usually pretty empty and quiet, but doesn't have any seating. The ground floor lobby has a dedicated private room that can be used for breastfeeding and also decompression, ask any lobby employee for access. Denver also has a cafe/bar on the ground floor which has both an indoor and outdoor (fenced) seating area.

### **Las Vegas - Low Stimulation Rooms:**

Vegas is by far the most frenetic Meow Wolf location designed to maximize visitor throughput and has no "chill nooks." Employee recommendations for calming rooms include Juke Temple, FractaLife, and in the very highest level of the factory (where the tallest slide begins) there are several couches in an un-decorated area. For guests of-age there is the Datamosh Bar.

### **Santa Fe - Low Stimulation Rooms:**

Santa Fe was Meow Wolf's first location and thus is the most low-tech in many ways, there are many more cozy "chill rooms" and nooks scattered throughout the exhibit. Timeworm on the second floor and also several treehouses in the upper level forest canopy are great rooms to relax and sit down in. Additionally there is a bar/cafe in the lobby.

### **Grapevine - Low Stimulation Rooms:**

The Sky Projection Room on the 2nd floor is calm, dark and has soothing ambient music. Also the treehouse on the 2nd floor of the forest is cozy and has plenty of seating. Grapevine is much like Santa Fe in that many rooms are nooks with seating everywhere.