This Psychedelic Grocery Store in Las Vegas Is an Immersive Art Experience

There are a lot of reasons to plan a trip to Las Vegas: casinos, resorts, shows, and... a grocery store?

But this isn't your average grocery store, it's an out-of-this-world experience that was clearly conceived out of someone's psychedelic trip (in the best way).

Omega Mart, an immersive art experience created by Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf (the team behind other artistic experiences like House of Eternal Return in New Mexico), is a permanent installation at the AREA 15 arts complex in Las Vegas. Tickets for the experience begin at $49 for general admission and $45 for children, seniors, and military.

Combining a rich narrative with mind-blowing art and music elements, Omega Mart is a one-of-a-kind installation that turns an unassuming supermarket into a psychedelic and strange experience that seems like it's straight out of H.P. Lovecraft.

The market is separated into four themed areas and over 60 unique environments, including themed rooms, terrains, and even portals to other worlds. Meow Wolf collaborated with over 300 creatives, artists, and musicians, including Beach House, Brian Eno, Amon Tobin, Shrine, and Android Jones, to create this imaginative storytelling experience.

The first area of the experience is Omega Mart, modeled after a big box grocery store, featuring trippy products like Wake Up Please! Energy Drink, Whale Song Antiperspirant/Antidepressant, Nebula Loaf, and Americanized Beef. Many of the products on the shelves are actually available to buy if you want to take a souvenir.

The second area is a Tron-inspired level called Dramcorp, where guests can explore the fictional corporate entity behind Omega Mart. Inside exists a labyrinth-style maze.

On level three, guests can visit the Factory, a multi-level playground that is part of Dramcorp's "mysterious operations and bizarre production procedures that create Omega Mart's signature products."

In the final area, known as The Projected Desert, guests step into video projected artwork that takes them from a "high-desert box canyon into a vibrant and serene immersion of psychedelic realms and transcendent interiors."

According to the website, "This sprawling space is a 20-minute psychedelic journey of fantastical and intricate projections splayed onto massive rock walls over 30 feet high, and adorned with hundreds of pounds of glitter. "

Thought has gone into every nook and cranny at Omega Mart, including the bathrooms — which are works of art themselves — and the several hidden passages and portals throughout the installation. The exhibition even features a secret watering hole, the Datamosh Bar, that serves classic drinks with an Omega Mart twist, like the "Meowjito" and the "Old Fashioned Spray."

You can spend your time inside simply enjoying the artwork on display, or, if you’re curious, there are interactive options that add context to Omega Mart’s products. Use optional Omega Access RFID cards at video devices throughout the installation for even more information about Omega Mart and Dramcorp. And if you get thirsty, several, though not all, of the products are even safe to consume, like Zalg (tastes like apple cider) and Omega Cola, the store’s signature cream soda. 

Grocery shopping has never been this exciting before — and we doubt it ever will be again.