When visitors arrive at the House of Eternal Return (created and staged by the art and entertainment group Meow Wolf), they’ll find themselves stepping into not just one new world but 70.
Inside what appears to be a straightforward Victorian house, unassuming appliances open portals to colorful (sometimes glowing) worlds that are contained within each of the 70 rooms.
Visitors choose their own path through the house, surrounded by dazzling environments every step of the way.
The House of Eternal Return (temporarily closed due to the pandemic) is Meow Wolf’s first permanent exhibition but plans are underway to open two new exhibitions in Las Vegas and Denver in 2021.
The Robot Restaurant
WHERE: Tokyo, Japan
Located in the Tokyo red light and entertainment district of Kabukicho, the Robot Restaurant has been bombarding visitors’ senses since 2012.
Less of a restaurant (food is served here but you’re not going for the dining experience) and more of a sci-fi cabaret, this venue stages a 90-minute show multiple times a day wherein robots battle and costumed drummers and dancers perform amid a non-stop onslaught of music, lights (laser, strobe, neon—take your pick!).
The details of the show vary a little but it’s consistently a delightfully chaotic experience.
Hearst Castle
WHERE: San Simeon, California
You won’t find any rooms awash in neon or adorned with disco balls, but make no mistake, Hearst Castle is a maximalist haven that only an outrageously wealthy eccentric could bring to fruition.
Famously created by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, this estate is a decadent collision of over-the-top design choices.
The structure and design of Hearst’s own personal Xanadu range from Spanish Revival to Renaissance, to Gothic with its many rooms decked out in priceless works of art and multiple ceilings that were purchased from Europe and shipped to Central California.
Not to mention the two pools, one of which has tiles made from Murano glass and gold leaf.
