Cool Down in Houston With Immersive Art

With temperatures soaring, it’s time to find some indoor fun. For me, it’s the perfect time to explore Houston’s immersive art scene. Designed with both kids and adults in mind, these interactive exhibits will provide a much-needed cool escape that’s fun for the whole family.

Meow Wolf

If you ever thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if my refrigerator was a secret passage to a trippy labyrinth where I can play video games to get clues to find secret spaces and make weird noises on headsets or just sit down for a game of checkers?” then Meow Wolf is the place for you. Our first visit lasted two and a half hours and we never did find all of the hidden rooms. Guaranteed full day of fun and mystery to be had at this 5th Ward interactive exhibit.

The Color Factory

The Color Factory in Upper Kirby houses multiple rooms with art exhibits designed to let out your inner child. After starting with a sweet treat and getting a glimpse of the many shades of Houston, your kids will tear into the “Float on Air” room, chasing giant bounce balls as they shoot up to the ceiling. This is just the first of many interactive spaces. As you make your way through, you’ll be invited to play with confetti, create pictures with a life-size Lite Brite, get your groove on in a silent disco, and dive head-first into the biggest ball pit you’ve ever seen. The built-in staged photo ops will capture all the fun you’re having and email you a direct link at the end of your visit, which concludes with a tiny perfect ice cream cone.

Seismique

Claiming itself to be “the art experience of tomorrow”, Seismique in Katy in a wonky, high tech experience that you and your kids will love exploring. It’s got an alien landscape in UV, hands-on activities, and a walk-through shower room. I admit to staring on somewhat horrified as my five year old son raced into it on his own, but he managed to come out dry on the other side. The highlight for my kids was the net climbing maze where they spent 30 minutes trying to reach the top and finding new holes to fall through. With all of the cool displays and rooms to explore, Seismique is the perfect place to take a break from the searing Houston heat.

Museum of Illusions

A tour of the puzzles, illusions, and mind-boggling photo ops in this Galleria spot will leave you questioning what you see and saying, “Wait, what?” Fake-scale a building, get dizzy in the vortex tunnel, or create a full body 3D sculpture with a life size pin art display. You and your kids will have a blast at the Museum of Illusions where nothing is quite as it seems, except the happy smiles on your kids’ faces while they try to figure out each optical illusion.

Sloomoo Institute 

Every kid loves slime, and at the Sloomoo Institute in Katy your kids can squish, stretch, squeeze, and otherwise explore the gooey stuff in dozens of colors, textures, and scents. While I won’t blame you for thinking that the best part of this exhibit is that it’s not inside your house, I’m confident you’ll find more to love than the lack of clean up. Where else can you stick your hands into over 25 vats of slime? Or fling a blob of slime at your kids head with a sling shot? Or take a peak inside the slime kitchen? Sloomoo has this and more, including getting doused from head to toe in the unforgettable Sloomoo Falls. Each ticket includes a trip to their DIY bar where you can create your own slime with your choice of texture, color, and scent. If you need more slime fun to take home, the Sloomoo gift shop has many crafts, activities, and slime of all kinds. Be sure to book your tickets in advance as prices go up as you get closer to each time slot.

Immersive Gamebox

Step inside your favorite games for a video game experience like no other. Located downtown, Immersive Gamebox turns your entire body into a game controller. You’ll have to move, jump, and touch to complete fun challenges and work as a team to solve each puzzle. Stay as long as you like – they’ll even bring you drinks direct to your game room.