Luna Luna: The World’s First Art Amusement Park
Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy – The World’s First Art Amusement Park Comes to Atlanta
Atlanta has always thrived on reinvention. From its historic role in civil rights to its reputation as the “Hollywood of the South,” the city has become a cultural capital where heritage and creativity intersect. Now, Atlanta welcomes Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, a travelling art exhibition unlike anything the city, or the United States, has ever seen.
Photography, Brian Ferry Courtesy of Luna Luna
Opening on September 24, 2025, at Pullman Yards, this visionary project brings together masterpieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Salvador Dalí, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Kenny Scharf, and more, transforming a historic industrial site into the stage for a reimagined art amusement park.
Why Atlanta? As Michael Goldberg, Luna Luna’s Chief Creative Officer, puts it: “Atlanta has long been a nexus of cultural innovation—making it the ideal next stop.”
What is Luna Luna?
The story of Luna Luna begins in Hamburg, Germany, in 1987. Conceived by Austrian impresario André Heller, the idea was radical: invite some of the world’s greatest living artists to design fairground rides, pavilions, and attractions, and open them to the public. It was the world’s first “art amusement park” a collision of high culture and carnival fun.
The lineup was staggering. Jean-Michel Basquiat painted a Ferris wheel. Salvador Dalí built a mirrored “Dalídom” that warped reality. Keith Haring created a carousel of bold, iconic forms. Roy Lichtenstein constructed a labyrinthine pavilion. Kenny Scharf splashed a swing ride in technicolor pop surrealism. Sonia Delaunay, Arik Brauer, Monika GilSing, and others added their visions, resulting in a dazzling art-world playground.
Although Luna Luna captivated audiences in Hamburg, a planned global tour never materialised. The entire collection was packed into shipping containers, forgotten for 35 years—until it was acquired in 2022 by Drake’s DreamCrew collective and restored for a new era.
Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy in Atlanta
Following blockbuster runs in Los Angeles and New York, Atlanta is the next stop for Luna Luna’s revival. Its home will be Pullman Yards, a 27-acre industrial landmark turned cultural destination in Kirkwood. Once a railcar factory, Pullman Yards has hosted everything from blockbuster films (The Hunger Games, Fast & Furious) to TEDNext and Sephora events. Today it stands as one of the city’s most dynamic cultural venues.
The soundtrack enhances the immersion, blending music from the 1987 fair with new tracks by André 3000, David Byrne, Jamie XX, Philip Glass, and Saya Gray.
The Artists at the Heart of Luna Luna
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Visitors will marvel at Jean-Michel Basquiat’s towering Ferris wheel, a work that encapsulates his raw energy and cultural impact. Basquiat’s fusion of graffiti, text, and expressionism redefined contemporary art in the 1980s, and here his vision literally rises above the fairground.
Salvador Dalí
They’ll step into the surreal infinity of Salvador Dalí’s Dalídom, a mirrored dome that distorts perception and embodies his obsession with dreams and altered realities. As one of Surrealism’s greatest pioneers, Dalí turns a carnival ride into an exploration of the subconscious.
Keith Haring
Keith Haring’s carousel transforms joy into movement, each figure painted in his iconic bold lines and vibrant energy. Haring, celebrated for bringing street art into the mainstream, makes play itself a work of art.
Roy Lichtenstein
In Roy Lichtenstein’s comic-strip Pavilion, visitors wander through an architectural translation of his Pop Art style. His bold dots, speech bubbles, and graphic lines blur the boundary between popular culture and fine art.
Kenny Scharf
The atmosphere bursts with colour in Kenny Scharf’s technicolor swing ride, a pulsing celebration of kitsch, joy, and pop surrealism. A close collaborator of Haring, Scharf’s exuberant vision turns the fairground into a cosmic playground.
Sonia Delaunay
Elsewhere, Sonia Delaunay, the pioneering abstract painter and textile designer, contributes a modernist touch, weaving colour theory and rhythm into the carnival aesthetic.
And finally, Arik Brauer and Monika Gilsing add folkloric and abstract elements that enrich the fairground’s visual language, broadening its scope and celebrating diversity in European artistic traditions.
Atlanta as Cultural Stage
The timing is perfect. Luna Luna opens alongside the Atlanta Art Fair (Sept 25–28, 2025), which will feature 60+ galleries and international partners. Together, these events position Atlanta as a must-visit destination for art lovers this fall.
Luxury Travel in Atlanta: Where to Stay and Dine
For art-loving Fluxx readers, Atlanta pairs Luna Luna with design-led hotels and refined restaurants:
Design-Led Stays
Waldorf Astoria By Hilton Atlanta Buckhead – stay in centre of the city’s cultural, dining and fashion scenes. The boutiques and restaurants of Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square are a five-minute walk away, and our indoor pool, Waldorf Astoria Spa, and private English gardens provide a tranquil escape.
Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta - This Neoclassical tower rises over Atlanta's Midtown, where world-class culture, flourishing businesses and enticing stores line the streets. Well-suited for both business and leisure travellers,
Loews Atlanta Hotel - Set in Midtown, Atlanta's trendiest enclave, Loews Atlanta Hotel fits right into the neighbourhood, offering a spacious, contemporary and welcoming stay.
Fine Dining
Bacchanalia – Atlanta’s culinary landmark, serving fine dining with seasonal, local ingredients.
Lazy Betty – Michelin-starred tasting menus in a contemporary setting.
Umi – Sleek Japanese dining in Buckhead, renowned for sushi and design-led interiors.
A Cultural Renaissance
At its core, Luna Luna is more than a travelling exhibition, it’s a cultural revival. By resurrecting forgotten treasures from 1987 and placing them in the heart of Atlanta, it proves that art can be both playful and profound.
Travel is a form of cultural discovery, Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy is certainly another reason to book a trip to Atlanta this autumn.
Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy opens September 24, 2025, at Pullman Yards. Tickets available at lunaluna.com
Photography, Brian Ferry Courtesy of Luna Luna