Anyone who wants to meet an 11-foot yeti face-to-face and save the multiverse within the same hour can make those dreams of multiversal heroics and mythical encounters come true in a uniquely Santa Cruz art installation.
A “dimensional convergence” has taken over the abandoned Victoria’s Secret in the Capitola Mall, transforming it intoMiddleof: A Journey of Mythical Proportions—an immersive experience that sets “accidental adventurers” on a perilous quest through elaborate dimensions, packed with intricately detailed puppets and interactive digital displays. The mission? To save the universe from the evil clutches of the Interdimensional Cryogenic Capture and Containment Corporation (ICCCI).
The installation leads guests through a labyrinth of rooms, each representing a slice of a dimension pulled into the world of Middleof. The adventure begins at the lavish Mercurio Manor, home to man-eating plants and dragons, and moves through the land of Underest, ruled by an 11-foot-tall yeti queen and her daughter. Along the way there are ICCCI agents, a golden griffin with a booming voice, mischievous fairies and dragons—all brought to life by local artists and performers.
Middleof is the brainchild of Ricki Vincent, artistic director of the Puppetry Institute (also located in the Capitola Mall). Inspired by a visit to the underground arts collective Meow Wolf in Denver with his wife—and fueled by a desire to step away from the limitations of the grant system—the couple began designing and transforming an abandoned retail space into an immersive and interactive installation. Unlike the multimillion-dollar Meow Wolf, Middleof was built modestly.
“We went to Meow Wolf and left thinking, ‘This is cool, but it’s not interactive enough.’ So we came up with Middleof. We needed $20,000 to build it—$17,000 came from donations, and the rest came out of my paychecks,” says Vincent.
Vincent’s love for puppetry began at the age of four, after watching Jim Henson on The Jack Paar Show.
“My mom woke me up to watch Henson on TV, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. The next morning, I woke up my grandmother. She handed me a pair of sewing shears and a huge fur coat—she was a woman of tremendous girth—and taught me how to use her pedal-driven sewing machine,” he recalls.
By the age of 8, Vincent had launched his “entrepuppetneurial” journey, converting his mom’s garage in Denver into his first installation.
“No matter where my mom was renting, if it had a garage, I’d turn it into a puppet theater. Then I’d find out what kids in the neighborhood got for their allowance and charge them half to come see my show,” says Vincent.
After a decades-long break from puppetry, Vincent’s passion was reignited in his mid-30s.
“I was running a tattoo parlor in Denver when I saw an episode of Muppets Tonight, realized I wasn’t as cool as I thought I was, and said on the spot, ‘I’m going back to doing puppets.’ My employees thought I went insane and went to my mom telling her to commit me to an institution because the puppet thing had taken over… then my mom threatened them with a broom,” Vincent recalls.
Over the past 20 years, Vincent has gone from living in his van to receiving $50,000 in grants for touring shows. In 2018, he founded the Puppetry Institute in Santa Cruz, and in May 2025, Middleof was born. His dream is to make Middleof a staple of Santa Cruz’s cultural landscape standing tall alongside the redwoods, the boardwalk, and the Mystery Spot.
“Thank you, Santa Cruz. It’s been a wonderful eight years. Please come visit the Institute and Middleof. There’s so much I can teach and share,” Vincent muses. “Art and commerce can thrive together—not just locally, but with tourists, too. Let’s make this place one more jewel in our artsy crown.”
Middleof can be found in the former Victoria’s Secret at the Capitola Mall. Museum Mode (Gallery Experience) hours are Thursdays, 11am–4pm ($10 per person). Adventure Mode (Interactive Quest) hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 4–7pm ($20 per person). Tours begin at the top of the hour. Adventures are limited to 12 participants. To reserve a spot, visit thepuppetryinstitute.org.
