Bewildering sights and sounds for babies and parents alike!
Family Restrooms: No
Gender-Neutral Restrooms: Yes
Diaper Changing Stations: Yes
Lactation Space: None
Stroller-Friendly: No
Overall Child-Friendly: Yes
Time Spent: 2-3 hours
If you like weird, you’ll love Meow Wolf. As a new family of three, we’ve seen our share of enjoyable zoos and museums, but nothing quite compares to Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart. This attraction did something unique: it put us on a level playing field with our daughter, allowing us to experience the world together through new eyes. In my ranking of baby-friendly attractions in Las Vegas, Meow Wolf easily comes in at #3, despite a couple of small challenges.
Omega Mart, located just northwest of the Las Vegas Strip, took us through a labyrinth of dizzying colors, unearthly sounds, and unexpected visuals. Perhaps for our 10-month-old daughter, this wasn’t much different than a typical day, encountering curiosities in a world that’s still new in so many ways. For my husband and I, it was a reminder of just how strange and exciting the world can be at any age.
Although the experience was awash in novelty, this actually wasn’t our first Meow Wolf adventure. My husband and I visited Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station in Denver about a year earlier, a couple of months before our daughter was born. Between the two attractions, I preferred Omega Mart. Both locations offered a fully immersive art experience that combines comedy, commentary, story-telling, and mystery in a visually stunning soundscape. And I think both would be enjoyable for children. But for me, the humor and commentary struck a chord in Las Vegas that didn’t quite come together at the other location. I’m sure it also helped that, on the second time around, I wasn’t seven-months pregnant, and I wasn’t as worried about Covid-19.
In Las Vegas, this stop was also doable in the restroom category. The gender-neutral restroom near the stairwell on the second floor provided a spot for me to pump in private while my husband assisted. While there was no public lactation space for breastfeeding, I was able to use the single-stall, gender-neutral restroom without too much trouble. In order to pump on the go, I used my Medela Pump in Style breast pump, which comes with a battery pack, tote bag, and mini-cooler.
Because we were using this space as a stand-in for a family restroom, the lack of a diaper changing table threw us for a loop. We ended up improvising and used our Skip Hop changing pad and some blankets. Looking back, I wish we had checked the other restrooms.
A follow-up inquiry with Meow Wolf confirmed there are changing stations in both the men’s and women’s restrooms on the first and second level within the exhibit. This aligns with a relatively new law in Nevada that requires new buildings to have at least one changing table accessible to men and women. I’m all for this update to state policy. It’s always frustrating to find changing stations in the women’s restroom but not the men’s.
The other important note at Meow Wolf is that strollers aren’t permitted inside— you’ll understand why when you arrive and start exploring. My husband carried our daughter in our Infantino Flip 4-in-1 Convertible Baby Carrier, and he was able to access most of the exhibit without any trouble. I use a backpack-style diaper bag from Target, and that made a big difference, as well. I was able to carry everything our daughter needed on my back throughout the experience.
In terms of timing on a feeding schedule, Meow Wolf is very doable. We spent about 2.5 hours there, including drive time. Depending on your plans throughout the day, you could easily fit this stop between hotel feedings. For us, this wasn’t an option, because we had a packed schedule both before and after. The amenities at Omega Mart made it easier for us to hop from place to place throughout the day.
Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart is located in an entertainment district near the Strip known as Area 15 (it’s worth noting this area has its own restrooms that we didn’t explore). The drive time is minimal, depending on the location of your hotel. While you’re at Area 15, if you can spare an extra half hour, grab a treat at Conduit Cafe, or check out the Rocket Fizz candy store. Like Omega Mart, all of Area 15 offers a visually stunning escape from the norm, although parts of it are more oriented toward nightlife.
Overall, Omega Mart accomplishes something rare. It has excitement to offer for babies, children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents alike. Don’t make the mistake of envisioning Meow Wolf as a typical art museum that your baby might be too young to appreciate. Add it to your list, and get lost in wonder together.