This is a very odd, very immersive and fairly expensive exhibit of an imaginary world of the future (or of some alien Earth-like planet - I'm not sure which exactly) that's loaded with wry humor. For example, canned "Schadenfreude" and "Lonely Hiker Protein Feast" for your healthy wolf and similar items are displayed in the elaborate "Omega Mart" supermarket. We recommend you take some time to read the item and display labels, many of which are pretty funny.

There's also a somewhat confusing mystery to follow around the warehouse-sized exhibit hall, having to do with missing scientists or something along those lines. We lost interest in the quest fairly quickly so we don't know if the pay-off is worth the effort, or exists.

Different areas of the "Mart" are accessible through various surprising entrances, such as through the soda cooler in the main store.

Go early if you expect to get a parking space. Although the entry tickets are timed, there's no limit on how long you can stay. We went in at 10;40 in the morning on a Sunday and the small parking lot was completely packed when we emerged a couple of hours later. The website recommends arriving by taxi or ride-share.

Note also: there are separate stores in the main hall, such as a bar and a restaurant, and others that require a separate fee to attend, such as the "immersive" Van Gogh exhibit, which clips you for another $39 per guest if I remember correctly, and the latest fad, an axe-throwing area.

That's the issue I have generally: the adult price for this thing is $55. Discounts for seniors, kids, and Nevada residents are provided, but the price seemed very high to us for what this thing amounts to: entertaining mostly, weird quite a bit, but nothing that we'd probably go to again. We enjoyed it, but we tend to like odd or more-unusual things, so we would not recommend Omega Mart to friends without a thorough discussion of what one gets for one's money here. Also, though there were several interactive items, but many did not work when we attended.

As an art installation, this is extraordinary. An an immersive experience, it has significant flaws. If you know a couple of things in advance, rather than have to learn them the hard way as we did, you can have a great time.

You first enter Omega Mart, a parody of a supermarket, stocked with existential butter, Pangea-cetta, and CRISPR Crunch. (If you grew up in the ’70s, it’s like Wacky Packs.) Doors behind the meat counter or through the janitor’s closet lead to a warren of passages: fake office, employee break room, factory floor, and much else. We wandered aimlessly, enjoying the parodies, testing for secret doors, playing the laser-beam harp, brushing through cut-paper foliage, and oohing and ahhing at the mirrored infinity room.

Then it dawned on us that everyone else was much more goal-oriented. Gradually we realized that the installation was actually a highly elaborate puzzle, like an escape room or one of those murder-mystery parties. There was no indication of this up front. You don’t have to partake in the puzzle, but if everyone else is doing it, it's hard not to feel you're missing out. At that point the exhibit loses its exploratory charm and becomes hard work. You have to use computer terminals to search for clues, with long lines of people at each. You have to read reams of handwritten letters and a drawerful of personnel files. You have to dial multiple numbers on the landline phones to reach sundry characters’ voicemail. You are even given a “hard drive,” accessed through a key card at the terminals, to store documents.

It’s wonderful that the artists have created such a deep backstory, but also overdone. The amount of information is overwhelming. Also, the story you uncover is very baroque and surreal—not something that trips off the tongue. Who knows how long the quest might take to complete—hours, at least. Yet you can't leave the installation to eat or rest without paying another $45 to reenter.

So, I recommend that you decide before arriving whether you want to do the quest or not. If not, just marvel. If yes, be prepared. Come with a team of equally obsessive people, pack energy bars into your pockets, and get cracking right away.

This was absolutely worth the trip to Area15. It is an alternate reality story with some mystery thrown into the mix. You start in the Omega Mart store. You get a card to track your progress through the attractions. Some stations are employee stations to check your progress, others actually allow you to do the activities. You find clues at the workstations as you check in the system. There are videos and printed information hidden everywhere, so open drawers, call phone numbers, answer the phone, and explore to your hearts content.

Wear closed shoes so you can go on the slides. Look for hidden doors. Try every door. Interact with the workers. Be prepared to crawl through tunnels, if you want (not necessary, but fun). There are elevators if you don't like stairs.

Before you go:
--Reserve a time. I would select first think in the morning before crowds pick up.
--Arrive early and wait in line outside. We arrived about 40 minutes before they opened and there was a line (in 105 degree heat). Within 20 minutes of opening, the line was very long.
--If you like mysteries and solving puzzles, plan on 3 to 4 hours. We arrived at 10 and left just before 2.
--If you prefer just looking at the interesting designs and exploring, plan on 1 to 2 hours.
--Check out the backstory (I learned from a previous review and they were spot on!).