Run, don’t walk, to see Luna Luna at the Shed in Hudson Yards. It was truly magical! Here’s the story. In the 1970s, artist and pop singer Andre Heller wanted to create Luna Luna, an amusement park by artists. He finally got funding in 1985.
Heller recruited some successful and some up-and-coming artists to create for the amusement park. In an embarrassment of riches, he attracted artists including Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney, Salvador Dali, Kenny Scharf and Sonia Delaunay.
The artists created the amusement park rides (or decorated them) and Luna Luna opened to 300,000 visitors in summer 1987. After it closed, everything was packed into 44 shipping containers and Heller found a buyer. Long story short, the buyer out of San Diego fell through and the failed sale entered the court system in 1991.
In 2006 (yes, 15 years later) the court ordered the sale to proceed. the 44 shipping containers went from Vienna, Austria to storage in Texas. It sat there until 2019. That year, Michael Goldberg, founder of Something Special Studios (a creative agency) learned about Luna Luna from seeing pictures in an art history blog. He joined forces with Heller and a few others to bring it back to life.
In 2022, they bought the 44 shipping containers and transported them to Los Angeles. They did not have a chance to inspect them before buying them. You can watch some of the “unboxing” videos in the exhibit, as they removed the art, nuts/bolts, posters, t-shirts, prizes given away and much more, from the containers.
The Shed is the perfect place for Luna Luna, with its soaring ceilings and open spaces. It is dark, with the art pieces lighting it up. The first of the two main rooms has a lot to look at – not just the Haring carousel, mirror maze and exterior of the sphere. There are several Haring wall pieces and a ton to read. Maybe too much (at least for me). They have a big wall of pictures showing the creation process and the various artists involved. They also have a timeline showing the era and what else was happening at that time. This was the most crowded part of the exhibition.
The wall continues with the timeline I shared above – and the unboxing videos. There’s also a separate room with some of the smaller items you’d find at Luna Luna when it was originally opened, including giveaways and signage. They also have original drawings from all the artists of their interpretation of the moon (you can see one below and also a poster toward the bottom). The “poop” sculptures which stood outside the bathroom are also there.
in the next room is the real magic. Lots of music, flashing lights and performers. The performers were an addition for this show. They come out multiple times and in different costumes with different props, dancing and interacting with guests. It can be loud and stimulating in this room, something to keep in mind if you or your youngsters don’t like too much activity.
Each of the artists has a placard explaining their work, and I highly recommend you read them. They’re informative and also have photos of them making the art with some additional information. We learned that in the Andre Heller piece above, the wedding chapel, he wanted to create a place where anyone could marry anything or anyone. Go inside and there’s someone who will perform a ceremony and give you a Polaroid picture and certificate. It was sweet to watch.
When the performers came out, the swing often came on with lights and music. Unfortunately you can’t ride the swing, but it’s lovely to watch.
The children’s play area is not from the original Luna Luna – the company that has the performers added this. There are a lot of soft foam things inside where kids can play on and with.
If You Go to Luna Luna with kids
How long to spend at Luna Luna? You can spend an hour or longer. The exhibit recommends 90 minutes. We were there about 90 minutes including in the Butterfly Lounge (more on that later). It depends how much you read on the walls and how much time you spend just wandering and watching. If it’s crowded, you may need to wait in line to go into the attractions you can go into. We had no wait on a Sunday morning in February.
Is Luna Luna appropriate for kids? Overall Luna Luna is appropriate for kids. There are a few parts that may feel inappropriate, like a few of the drawings on Basquiat’s Ferris wheel (nude drawings, cigarettes – this is a stretch and conservative take – I don’t actually think it’s a problem). I think it can be a little scary for some kids with the darkness, loud music and flashing lights – know your kid (and watch the videos here to see what you think).
Tickets: Luna Luna is offering discounted tickets now. Tickets are timed – you can go in during the hour you reserved and stay as long as you’d like. They also have Moon Passes which let you in at any time and come with additional perks, like skipping the attraction line if there is one. We were there on a Sunday morning and there was no line for anything – it was lovely not to be there when it was crowded.
How long is Luna Luna open? The exhibit was fortunately extended through March 16, 2025.
The gift shop has some fun items. That includes original posters from the shipping containers. The posters run $100 to $1,000 depending on the quality. They have other (new) items as well, that are moderately priced.
Leave time to go upstairs to the Butterfly Bar and overlook. You can see the overlook while in the second room, above the sphere. They have drinks and food for sale but you don’t need to buy anything. (Cotton candy, hot dogs, cocktails, fancy popcorn). They also have a coloring area.
Accessibility: Luna Luna and the Shed are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. They have elevators. Per the website, “there are steps to enter the DalÃ, Hockney, and Lichtenstein pavilions.” One cannot go through the mirror maze in a stroller or wheelchair – it’s not big enough.
