Inside the strange carnival with surreal rides by Dali and Basquiat that was lost for decades but is now open in NYC
It might be winter outside, but at Hudson Yards, it’s always the summer of 1987.Thousands of thrill seekers and art lovers are flocking to Luna Luna — the world’s first-ever art amusement park that has finally made its way to the Big Apple after decades of being lost to history.And while visitors can no longer hop on the attractions — handpainted by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Salvador Dalí and more — the immersive exhibit offers a chance to take a ride back in time and encourages everyone to embrace their inner child.“It’s one of the only projects that I can think of that really can touch such a wide net of people,” Michael Goldberg, chief entertainment officer of Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, told The Post.“If you’re obsessed with art history and you know everything there is to know about these artists or you don’t know anything about any of the artists — I guarantee there’s something that you’re going to find intriguing or entertaining in this project.It’s amazing to see people come to this space and just be truly moved by the story by the artwork.”For Goldberg, it wasn’t a matter of if Luna Luna would be brought to New York City — but when.The sprawling amusement park had been locked away in a Texas warehouse since 1987 after enjoying just one trailblazing summer in Hamburg, Germany.Conceived by Austrian artist André Heller, Luna Luna was a “fantastical fairground” that fused real-life carnival attractions with some of the most iconic artists of the time, including a carousel made of Haring’s iconic stick figures and a Ferris wheel detailing Basquiat’s drawings.Fortunately, the pieces — stored across 44 shipping containers — were kept in near-pristine condition until Goldberg and a team that also included rapper Drake rescued them in 2022.In its new form, Luna Luna is more of an immersive museum than an amusement park — despite the rides being in impeccable condition, none of the visitors are permitted...