Meow Wolf Grapevine's The Real Unreal — Attraction in Grapevine

I'll be honest, Meow Wolf always seemed too cool for me. Before I visited I felt as if it was geared towards a cosplay or escape room crowd. I don't care to participate in-character with live actors and melodrama crumbles my suspension of disbelief. I do, however, love other types of immersion, specifically stagecraft - lighting, sound and set design.

My assumption, by the way, was pretty much 180 degrees off. This attraction appeals more to those who like sets, design, sculpture, and interactive exhibits than those who like immersive live acting.

I'm in the Dallas area once or twice a year, and don't find the city particularly walkable or explorable and I'm always looking for an event or experience when I'm in town... so I thought I would give The Real Unreal a shot.

I'm glad I did... I immediately changed my view of Meow Wolf in general. This is an explore at your own pace and style exhibit, not an exhibit overly staffed by people forcing a story. I think the only employee I encountered warned me I'm too old and sad (my paraphrasing) to crawl through the washing machine. I took that as a dare and... well I made it though once and that's good enough for me.

Back up, back up... indoor outdoor scenes are my favorite - Blue Bayou, the Blood Moon HHN house, the Gaylord Texan (mentioned due to its proximity, but honestly pales compared to the Opryland). The first outdoor scene in The Real Unreal is one of my favorites. You can freely roam around... walk through the grass or on the path, explore a garden outside or enter a full size house, all under a starry sky. Spoiler alert: don't expect scenes like a haunted house... there is literally a fully built two story house where you can walk through every room and interact with every item. This first scene is well worth the price of admission.

There explorable area beyond this house is surprisingly large, full of supernatural and otherworldly environments. There are often multiple unique ways to access each area, and it's very easy to get lost and unexpectedly find your way back to a place using a different route. We spent a couple hours exploring without really even trying to follow the storyline.

There's plenty to admire in scenic design alone, but The Real Unreal goes beyond that. Nearly everything in the exhibit is functional and part of a story line. Watch TV, call someone on the payphone, go to the arcade and play some of the custom made video games, log into a computer, play a record... the amount of interactive content in this exhibit is Unreal. I must have spent a half hour finding phone numbers scribbled down or in cityscape signage and calling them for the recorded message. One of them rang the kitchen in the house, which was answered by another guests. We both thought the other had some important storyline info... classic.

My group was entertained for hours for what seems like a fair price. Don't get me wrong, we bought the "Totally Worth It" admission tier ironically as it seemed ridiculously priced, and laughed as we were led through the first underwhelming portal/hallway... but we immediately felt the joke was on us when we saw the first scene. If anything the price is far too low, particularly on the lower tiers. After returning home, I proudly hung my pin and holographic lanyard on my souvenir wall, and even bought some of the unique merch afterwards. My toddler nephews... they'll never look at me the same way after gifting some of the mutated plushies Meow Wolf offers.

I'm looking forward to my next business trip to the area, and The Real Unreal is the primary...

We took our first trip, ever, to Meow Wolf Grapevine, at the end of April. We were in town for a festival, and arrived in town early enough to end the day at The Real Unreal. Luckily, for us, it was also the day of their 21+ event, Adultiverse. So, it was open a little later than normal, and had some great activities happening as well. It's connected to the mall. So, easy to find, and accessible parking.

Now, we are no strangers to Meow Wolf. This is our third exhibit to visit, and we actually didn't have to pay anything, as we are Supremium Pass Holders, which makes any Meow Wolf exhibit free to visit. So, already a great start to such a fun experience.

Upon arrival, we went straight to the gift shop. We shopped around a little, preparing for our exit plan, and made friends with some of the team. We were graciously helped by team members Johnny and Darby. Both were extremely friendly, offered wonderful insight, and were great influences on our purchases.

Once inside the exhibit, we were at a loss of words. We've been to OmegaMart and Radio Tave. So, we had an idea of what to expect, but the art and environment was really next-level. There are so many things to prod and poke, so many areas to crawl around in, and also plenty of room to move around or take a seat to absorb the ambiance. Truly my most favorite visual experience at a Meow Wolf. Will be returning to Grapevine, just to relive it.

More so, they had a bunch of amazing activities happening for their Adultiverse event. Belly dancers were teaching classes, there was a lovely woman performing acoustic baths throughout the exhibit, a DJ performing in the lobby, and even music performances inside the exhibit as well. We even brought in our own entertainment, like flow toys, and had our own fun.

We spent about 5 hours there, which provided enough time to ensure we saw the whole exhibit. We grabbed drinks at their cafe, which were affordable and delicious. We also met and conversed with their event planner, Will. Will, much like the rest of the staff, ticket checkers and security alike, was very inviting, insightful, and made us feel extremely comfortable in such an unfamiliar place.

I am a proud Taver, and the Houston exhibit is my home. However, The Real Unreal definitely has a special place in my heart, and I am grateful for the chance to have explored it's realm. Can't...

NO WORDS OR PICTURES can describe the absolute WONDER & Enigma that is Meow Wolf of Grapevine! There's literally none on the East Coast. It's a trippy, joy ride of an art exhibition that takes you on a journey, a story, and a scavenger hunt all at the same time thru many rooms and passages you can freely wander through. Taking your time and using your mind to unlock deeper secrets within the secret!! "The Real Unreal" was a Stranger Things fever dream about a young boy who's gone missing, his family has recordings and streams of them pleading to the public for help. You start off at their house which you candig through the upstairs bedrooms, watch and read things on their laptops, open closets, and slide down either the washing machine or dryer into another world (if you choose to go through the fridge you end up in Brrrrrrrmuda). And then your met with colorful, bizarre and mind twisting art and exhibits of creatures, and a place where the real unreal doesn't name sense! You're goal is to find out what happened to the little boy Jarred, and his Invisible 'pet' he found called Happy Gary! Along with your phone that has a psychic sense inside the Meow Wolf app, you detect things along your journey that make you stop and reexamine a room. Onan heard the pay phone ringing in the city and picked it up. It was from someone inside the laundry room who told us to go through the only door of the water melon room to find a brain bean!!! 😂😂😂 Took us some time and finally asked an employee what the FUCK a brain bean is! And they are hidden Easter eggs that can be anywhere from the floor to the city!

If you have a chance to go to any of these!!! Go!!! We spent over 5 hours and had to leave due to it closing! LOL We could've been there all day. They have a total of five locations and one opening up in Houston soon! It originally was an art project in Santa Fe, and has grown rapidly the last few years! I'm so grateful I finally got to experience this finally! I posted some fun videos and pictures to just give you a taste, but it can't compare to being there yourself!

(ALSO, shout out to Mia for helping us know what the heck a...