On Halloween night of last year, Meow Wolf: Radio Tave officially opened its doors in Houston. The surreal wonderland in Third Ward marked the company’s fifth location with a local portal where Houstonians can get lost in a world of kaleidoscopic art. As one of the coolest interactive concepts in Houston or elsewhere in the United States, you have to wonder what its founders are up to next. And here we have it: Submersive.
What is Submersive?
Created by Meow Wolf co-founder, Corvas Brinkerhoff, Submersive is an immersive bathhouse concept that marries cutting-edge art, science, and tech with traditional Japanese and European bathing rituals. The plan is for Submersive to be the “world’s first immersive bathhouse concept” – and it’s coming to Austin, Texas.
Where Meow Wolf offers a maximalist, high-stimulation experience, the environment at Submersive will offer an immersive experience of therapeutic form, through style, look, and texture. As stated on its website, Submersive plans to feature a curated selection of artworks such as sculptures and flats among other installations that guests can literally submerge themselves into.
Furthermore, Submersive founders hope for the venue to be more than a bathhouse; Submersive intends to go beyond relaxation, seeking to deliver transcendent states of awe, wonder, euphoria and “elevated states of consciousness”.
Inspired by the isolation and disconnection proliferate of our time, Submersive’s purpose is to create deeper personal connections for its guests, as well as connections to relationships, communities, and environments.
“In the early years of Meow Wolf, along with finding incredible inspiration creating collaborative art installations, I was quietly developing a deep obsession with public bathing and contrast therapy. I wondered if we could make immersive experiences that not only wow and entertain us, but that have potential to be truly therapeutic. Submersive is the next chapter—an exploration of what’s possible when art, science, and human connection come together to transform lives”, said Brinkerhoff.
Submersive: Physical Form
As for the physical Submersive venue. The immersive bathhouse will be a 25,000-square-foot space, comprised of 12 distinct rooms outfitted in powerful, multi-sensory elements – all mapped around a main communal space. The venue will include ancient bathhouse features such as thermal pools, steam and sauna rooms, grottos, waterfalls, cold plunges, and floatation tanks alongside innovative technologies.
When and where is Submersive opening?
Presently, Submersive plans to open its first location in Austin, Texas in 2027. The exact location has not yet been released. Following, the company plans to open 11 more locations across the world. According to Attractions Management, prices will start at $60, averaging around $88, depending on selected option (3-hour, 5-hour, all-day).