Meow Wolf Portals

Augmented Reality Portals to the House of Eternal Return

Opening Portals to Meow Wolf

Bringing the psychedelic world of Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return into a simple, browser-based WebAR Niantic Spatial experience meant finding a balance between magic and performant technology. We imagined how people might stumble onto an augmented reality portal while moving through everyday New Mexico spaces, walking through an airport, checking into a hotel, or exploring a tourist hub. From there, the goal was clear: make something that loads instantly on mobile browsers, feels unmistakably Meow Wolf, and gently leads people from “wow, what is this?” to “I have to visit!”.

To recreate rooms from the Santa Fe exhibit, we used Niantic’s Scaniverse to capture detailed 3D scans - lightweight Gaussian splats that keep the dreamlike Meow Wolf texture without slowing down the web. We tested everything early in Niantic Spatial WebAR, making sure each portal felt good to walk toward, step into, and explore. Once the technical approach felt solid, we teamed up with Shandiin Yazzie Woodward to design how the portals should look and feel - we needed something that felt like it belonged to the Meow Wolf’s universe, but was performant on the web.

When everything came together, we launched six Niantic Spatial WebAR portals across New Mexico. People could discover a portal, open it in their browser instantly, step through a doorway into a Gaussian splat reconstruction of a House of Eternal Return room, and hear custom audio from the Meow Wolf team. A built in “Get Tickets” button connected the digital moment to bringing people to the physical experience that is the House of Eternal Return. These AR installations turned everyday foot traffic into a chance for a little glimpse of Meow Wolf.

Try A Portal

Click the button on your phone to try an AR portal to Meow Wolf.

Click here to try

Our Process

  • Storyboards

    First, we storyboarded multiple possible activations, before settling on Portals directly to the artwork.

  • 3D Scanning

    Next, we took Gaussian Splat 3D scans of the exhibit at Meow Wolf Santa Fe using Scaniverse.

  • Prototype

    Then, we built a prototype in 8th wall. We were able to prove out that using 3D scans of Meow Wolfs complexity would be feasible for web AR using Niantic Spatial.

  • Concept Art

    Once we were confident the prototype was feasible, we worked with Shandiin Yazzie Woodward to concept the visuals for the portal

  • Final Activation

    Finally, we built the activation, bringing together the portal visual elements, CTA, and 3D scans for the final web AR experiences.

Help people understand what Meow Wolf is

A lot of visitors have heard of Meow Wolf but don’t really know what to expect from the House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We needed an augmented reality experience that gives people a taste of the weird, story-rich world without over-explaining it or killing the magic.

The Challenge

Make it work on the web

The experience had to run as WebAR in a phone’s browser. No apps, no social media, no downloads. It needed to be performant, stable, and accessible on as many mobile devices as possible, so anyone could step through an AR portal with just a link or QR code.

Turn Curiosity into a Visit

This wasn’t just about a cool AR moment. The portals needed a clear, built-in call to action that encouraged people to buy tickets and visit Meow Wolf in person ,channeling that first spark of curiosity directly toward the House of Eternal Return.

The Work

  • Beastie's Grotto

    PAOLO PUCK

  • Pip and Pop

    Tanya Shultz

  • The Ancestral Crypt

    Lauren YS

  • Temple of a Thousand Stories

    Danae Brissonnet

  • Temple of a Thousand Stories

    DANAE BRISSONET

  • Sirens: Secret Passkeys & Portals

    VIRGIL ORTIZ