This Las Vegas 'grocery store' adds mystery to the mundane
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Forget the glitzy casinos and the big-name entertainers — one of the unsuspecting hottest must-see attractions in Las Vegas is a supermarket.
At first glance, the Omega Mart is a perfectly average-looking grocery store. But it's the second glance where one would start to notice the weird products and a few cracks in reality.
Just past the shelves of strawberry pretzels, Simply Spiders cereal and Mammoth Chunks are more odd delicacies behind the meat counter.
"One of our most popular items over here is the tattooed chicken," an employee said. "It's a work of art in every bite."
It all looks fairly normal, but almost nothing at Omega Mart is what it seems. If visitors know where to look, they might just find themselves transported to a whole other world.
Secret, hidden portals lead from the store into a surreal, colorful, mind-bending maze of mystery. Find the clues and unlock a story rich with family drama and a band of resistance fighters who want to bring their company down.
Although visitors don't have to know the story to enjoy it.
"Some people have a fun time just coming and looking at the beautiful art," employee Michael Duffield said. " You can sort of skim on top, or you can deep dive into the mysteries that may exist."
Omega Mart was created by about 350 artists and was assembled by Meow Wolf, the entertainment company founded in 2008 to transform art from something passive into what they call "immersive art experiences."
"You control your adventure, so that's the new form of entertainment," said Jeff Lund, Omega Mart's general manager. "It gives individuals the opportunity to create their own experience versus us telling you, 'This is what it's about.'"
Meow Wolf operates three experiences, including Sante Fe and Denver, with more on the way. A ticket is about $50, and visitors can stay as long as they want to discover all of the hidden mysteries.
"We hope that they've been inspired creatively," Lund said. "They've seen art, maybe they want to go create something in their home or backyard, then we've done a really great job."
