The World’s First Art Amusement Park Is Back After Four Lost Decades

Once upon a time, an artist imagined a fantastical gallery where artwork wasn’t just looked at, it was played on. A fairground where you could ride on a carousel of Keith Haring’s iconic cartoons, spin on the chair swings painted by Kenny Scharf, and go up a Ferris wheel covered in Jean-Michel Basquiat’s designs. In the summer of 1987, this artistic carnival became a reality in Hamburg, Germany. But logistical issues closed the park and locked away the artwork—until now.  

This past December, the doors of the world’s first art amusement park opened once again—this time in a 60,000-square-foot warehouse in Los Angeles. Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy showcases the whimsical work of 15 world-renowned artists, including Sonia Delaunay, Salvador Dalí, and Roy Lichtenstein. Thanks to a $100 million investment from mega-rapper Drake’s entertainment company DreamCrew, the park’s original pieces are back on display, and you can experience this avant-garde carnival until springtime.  

Sabina Sarnitz/Luna Luna LLC

In 1987, Austrian artist André Heller opened Luna Luna to fuse an amusement park with an art museum. He recruited over 30 acclaimed artists of the day—including Haring, Scharf, and Basquiat—to design the park’s attractions. In the seven weeks Luna Luna was open, 250,000 visitors of all ages experienced the rides, interactive installations, games, and performances at the park. But a change in ownership and ensuing litigation disrupted the world tour planned for Luna Luna, and the artwork sat in shipping containers for 36 years. 

In a moment of happenstance, a New York creative director, Michael Goldberg, read an article about Luna Luna in 2022 and became enamored with the idea. He eventually reached out to Heller (who is now 76 years old), and they connected with DreamCrew. Once Drake and his team fell in love with Luna Luna, the plan to revive the park began to materialize. DreamCrew funded the transportation of the 44 shipping containers housing the original artwork from Texas to L.A., and a team of experts carefully restored the pieces in the new venue. 

Joshua White/Luna Luna LLC

Now, Haring’s carousel, Scharf’s chair swings, and Basquiat’s Ferris wheel are open to the world at Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy. “We knew we had something special on our hands, but we honestly couldn’t have imagined such an incredible response,” Goldberg says. “Seeing young families, friend groups, couples on dates, tourists, seniors, and everyone in between line up before our doors open and then leave hours later, smiling ear-to-ear, has been really moving for the whole team.”

To the dismay of some critics, you can no longer ride on the artwork, but other interactive experiences—like clowns, music, and Heller’s Wedding Chapel—pay homage to the original park. Lumi Tan, Luna Luna’s curatorial director, says the exhibit still taps into an enduring spirit of making art accessible. “Every time the doors open, you see a new audience being introduced to this incredible piece of history,” she says. “I love witnessing these faces filled with wonder and amazement to see all these artists’ work in one space.”

Sinna Nasseri/Luna Luna LLC

You can also learn about the first park and the restoration process through a mixed-media showcase of archival materials. But make sure you visit before the spring, because DreamCrew is working on a wide-scale launch—the world tour Luna Luna was slated for all those years ago.