Meow Wolf Grapevine adds new revenue stream: Prime Materia
AT: Tim Baldwin
tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com
GRAPEVINE, Texas — When The Real Unreal opened as the fourth Meow Wolf location in July of 2023, the 30,000-square-foot mind trip took the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex down a rabbit hole that delighted audiences with its cosmic wonder and baffling mystery.
Almost two years later, the “art installation” — which fails to describe the FEC meets fun house meets playground entity — has brought in something new. On June 20, visitors wandering its labyrinthian corridors and surreal dimensions can add something more to their exploratory adventure: cocktails!
Prime Materia is an in-exhibition bar within The Real Unreal. To see its otherworldly curiosities, customers have to have entered the parallel universe inside. The bartenders, called Gizmo_Mancers here, will serve up cocktails and nonalcoholic elixirs with such names as Overclocked Margaritas and Elderberry Gin Potions.
“Meow Wolf’s newest attraction is at the crossroads of alchemy and circuitry turning rare decoded elements into delicious brews,” or so says Tommy Schaatz-Thompson, director of exhibition and facilities.
Once visitors have ordered their drinks, they receive wristbands indicating they are 21 or older and can freely roam about the various dimensions with their cocktails. However, nonalcoholic offerings are available for everyone.
“Prime Materia is an exciting step forward for Meow Wolf Grapevine,” said General Manager Jamie Weaver-Garia. “Introducing our first in-exhibition bar allows us to expand how guests engage with The Real Unreal while offering something truly unique to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It deepens the experience, invites repeat visits and shows how we continue to push the boundaries of immersive storytelling.”
And that’s what Meow Wolf is all about — storytelling. Or not. Frankly, the brand has mastered “story interpretation.” There is an underlying storyline in each location, but the guests are the ones who perceive it however they wish and for as long as they wish to explore. The experience is nonlinear, so the story is derived through discovery.
When asked what was in the space before Prime Materia opened, the bartender will spin a yarn of spatial forces previously untapped and such cosmic-speak — and visitors can have fun with that.
Connor Gray, regional PR manager Houston, shared the truth with Amusement Today.
“The best part of Meow Wolf is that we grow to enhance Meow Wolf guests' experiences as much as possible,” he told AT. “We're strategic in how we build spaces and leave room for future growth at each exhibition. In Prime Materia's case, that space was previously unoccupied aside from the infinite wormhole in the broom closet. The bar itself is behind some metal grating, so we were able to pull the gates down and build the space for weeks behind closed doors without our guests' experience being interrupted. Less of a speakeasy and more of a buildeasy.”
Behind the bar, throbbing, glowing machines are part menacing and part hypnotic, setting the stage for the blend of alchemy and technology.
When the fifth Meow Wolf location, Radio Tave, opened in Houston in the fall of 2024, that property had an interplanetary honky tonk built within, Cowboix Hevvven [see AT, March 2025]. While that venue had sit-down booths and hot food items, only packaged snacks are available in Grapevine. It’s more of a roam-with-a-cool-drink type of vibe.
“At Meow Wolf Grapevine, there is always a new way to experience and enjoy The Real Unreal. In the two years we've been open, we've continued to add new murals, new interactions, new events and community spaces in our location. Prime Materia is another perfect example of that. We have bar spaces at several of our exhibitions including Meow Wolf Houston's Cowboix Hevvven and Meow Wolf Denver's Sips (with a Z). Each of these locations enhances the story by providing more narrative in the exhibition, more secrets to uncover and a moment to reflect and recharge in the multiverse.”
To elevate the fun, special glassware, cryocups, are available to turn one’s cocktail into a spectacle.
“A special recipe makes it bubble and create a fog above the drink,” said Gray. “Who wouldn’t want that? It’s a way to enhance the guest experience by not only seeing cool art but also tasting cool art and increasing the ability to interact in our spaces in a way they never imagined before.”
The vessel, of course, is a collectible souvenir.
Meow Wolf experiences have no beginning or end. Guests can investigate and try to solve deep mysteries, or they can simply turn their brains off and weird out. While timed tickets stagger entry, the length of stay is entirely up to them. Half the fun is backtracking to find places previously missed. (Who knew you could walk through the refrigerator??) There are even resting places where travelers can pause their journey to attempt to comprehend the imagination that blurs reality.
Meow Wolf creates location-based entertainment through artist collectives, paying close attention to local cultures and regional artists. The interactive realms reflect the core values of the company: innovation, creativity, inclusivity, collaboration, community and excellence. Meow Wolf is committed to giving back to the communities in which their locations reside, as well as a commitment to sustainability. A location is being prepared for Los Angeles in 2026, and an installation in New York will follow.
