Travel

A Mind-Bending Experience In Denver

Visiting Convergence Station, a Meow Wolf interactive art installation.

Before taking my first solo trip to Denver last year, I spent weeks researching the best places to visit.

One place that popped up over and over again was Convergence Station, an immersive art installation by Meow Wolf.

Not familiar with Meow Wolf?

“Meow Wolf is an arts and entertainment company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We create immersive and interactive experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration.” -Meow Wolf website

I was drawn in by the photos I had seen, which had a certain mind-bending and surreal quality to them.

And let me tell you, the photos don’t do it justice.

Convergence Station

Meow Wolf has three installations (one each in Denver, Las Vegas, and Santa Fe), each centered around a different theme.

“Convergence Station offers full commuter service to the Convergence: four alien worlds joined together in a rare cosmic event — a place where memories are currency.” — Convergence Station website

Immediately upon walking in I was overwhelmed by the design (yes, even the lobby is beautifully decked out).

There was a quick 2-minute briefing on what to expect inside, and then everyone was set free.

Inside Convergence Station there are four distinct areas or “worlds”.

Numina

This was the first area I came across, and the best way to describe it is an enchanted forest.

Staff members were walking around in full character, pointing out secret tunnels and doors, and making the whole experience all the more entertaining.

The forest extended up all four floors of the installation and was filled with ever-changing sounds and lights.

Having severe ADHD, I felt like I had finally found a place that kept up with my brain (if that makes sense).

C Street

The next “world” I found myself in was C Street.

This was a long hallway of street signs, old vehicles, and neon lights.

Somehow I kept returning to C Street through various random passages I went through (at one point I popped out through a painting).

Again, the constant commotion in this area was very soothing to my ADHD-riddled brain.

The Ice Cities of Eemia

If I’m being honest, this castle-like structure was probably the biggest draw for me.

It stretched up multiple stories (although the cathedral itself only has one), and was obviously designed with music and sound in mind, with most reachable parts of the structure having some unique sound.

The Kaleidogothic Cathedral left me in awe. There is something so mind-bending about seeing such a large and intricately-built structure exist completely indoors.

Ossuary

The fourth and final world of Convergence Station is Ossuary, a catacomb-like web of rooms and nooks on the bottom floor of the exhibit.

Ossuary had a more scientific feel than the other three worlds, with a more psychedelic theme within most of its rooms.

This area, more than the other three, featured an abundance of confusion in terms of the layout (in a good way).

There were multiple times when I entered a room, then exited through (what I thought was) the same door, only to find myself in a completely new place.

Final Thoughts

That day I spent over five hours wandering the 4-floor installation, and I only left because I got hungry.

In those five hours, I probably saw around 60% of the entire exhibit, and I could’ve kept walking around for the rest of the day if I’d found a snack.

I’ve been to a few art installations before, and, while they were beautiful, they don’t hold a candle to the interactive nature of Convergence Station.

If you’re going to be in Denver, an afternoon spent at Convergence Station is a fantastic plan.

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