This sci-fi ride puts your childhood carousel to shame. Pittsburgh-based artist Michael Walsh used steel and mirror-polished aluminum to sculpt his 6,000-pound interactive ride, known as the Cosmic Carousel . The structure, which was on display earlier this month at Maker Faire Bay Area 2016 (a festival dedicated to creativity and invention) in San Mateo, California, is certainly a spectacle in sculpture. The carousel’s wing-shaped upper deck balances on top of a steel ball that spins along a vertical axis.

From afar, catching a ride on this 17-foot-tall psychedelic sculpture seems enticing, but up close, climbing onto the carousel’s upper deck is a mammoth task. “Part of the experience of this interactive piece is for the spectators to become a participant in the art,” Walsh says, adding, “Without human social interaction and assistance, one cannot actually climb on board.” To start the spinning motion, passengers join forces to pull on the wheel in the middle of the cockpit. A friendly bystander on the ground can also lend a helping hand by pushing on the upper deck.

When asked why he chose mirror-polished aluminum for the exterior, Walsh says he was drawn to its “striking visual presence.” Since the aluminum is aircraft-grade, the sculpture is able to withstand constant human contact. The carousel can comfortably fit between 15 and 20 passengers, “depending on how friendly everyone wants to be,” Walsh notes. In 2012, the artist’s Kickstarter campaign raised roughly $7,500 to help fund the Cosmic Carousel, which took 92 days to build from concept to fruition. The working sculpture debuted at Burning Man that same year.