Meow Wolf Signs 75K SF Lease at Pier 17

Interactive art is set to take shape across part of the South Street Seaport.

Seaport Entertainment Group, a spinoff of Howard Hughes Holdings, announced that Meow Wolf has signed a 20-year lease for approximately 75,000 square feet across multiple floors at Pier 17 in Manhattan’s Seaport district.

The asking rent was not disclosed. A representative for SEG did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Real Deal.

The venue will be Meow Wolf’s seventh permanent exhibition and first on the East Coast. Meow Wolf operates in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas and Houston. A Los Angeles location is scheduled to open in 2026.

The attraction will join existing Pier 17 venues including The Rooftop concert venue and Lawn Club. SEG expects the Meow Wolf experience to bring millions of additional visitors to the waterfront area annually.

Anton Nikodemus, SEG’s chief executive officer, noted in a statement that Meow Wolf’s artistic approach aligns with the Seaport’s history as a creative hub. Jose Tolosa, Meow Wolf’s chief executive officer, described the Seaport as “a place where New York’s history and future intersect.”

Meow Wolf began in Santa Fe in 2008 as an art collective and has gone on to create immersive, interactive art installations across the country. The company has received critical acclaim, including Time Out’s #1 Immersive Experience in the US and appearances on Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies list.

Construction at Pier 17 is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025. The opening date, theme and other details have not yet been announced.

CBRE was the dual leasing agent. Mary Ann Tighe, Gerry Miovski and Evan Haskell were among those to represent the landlord in the transaction, while Cassie Durand, Sacha Zarba and Aylin Gucalp represented the tenant.

SEG is run by Nikodemus and was spun out of Howard Hughes in August, turning the latter into a pure real estate company. SEG includes nearly 500,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and dining space in lower Manhattan. Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management owns about 38 percent of the entity.

Hospitality brand Grupo Gitano recently inked a lease at 89 South Street in the Seaport District building, where it plans to open its first permanent eatery in the United States.