Phish has turned the Empire Polo Club into a playground for its fans.

It is a place that excites the mind and offers several ways to be a part of the three-day festival rather than just an observer.

A Ferris wheel that has made appearances at past Phish concerts is present.

“We're going to try and ride it,” said John Carozza of San Diego. “But it's had its problems at other Phish Fests.”

Carozza, who attended the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, said he likes Phish's set-up at the polo field. “With just one band and one stage it seems like there's a lot more room,” he said.

In the middle of the field is the Mystical Coil, a structure that winds around itself. Like a fun house, it's filled with different rooms, all with different themes.

In the center of the coil is an open area, a couple of large metal sculptures and the Lucent Dossier Experience, a performance art troupe that interacts with the audience.

There is also a giant pumpkin being built by Carlos Vera, an artist who was at Coachella and was asked to be a part of Festival 8. The pumpkin is covered with recycled cardboard boxes donated to the effort by Guess Clothing Co.

“It's a collaborative art piece,” Vera said. “The purpose is to get everyone to help build and decorate the structure and help them get to know each other.”

One of the most intriguing sights is a 25-foot-long reticulated rattlesnake that will come to life today and Sunday. The snake will grow to 100 feet in length with six heads, said Sian Heder of the Predator Control Unit, charged with “guarding” the beast Friday night. The snake will move through the crowd “before it consumes itself,” Heder said.

The most impressive exhibit was the fire art — metal sculptures that produced fire devils that swirled into the night, hissing and spewing blue flames toward the pitch black sky.

“It's just beautiful,” said Jenny Hammock of Colorado. “This is more than I expected.”