Take Flight at the Balloon Museum with Expanded Hours and New Offerings

 The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum invites visitors to celebrate the magic, history, science, and artistry of ballooning during Balloon Fiesta® week October 3–11. Throughout the nine days, the museum will offer special lectures, virtual reality balloon rides, a feature film, new exhibit, and events including a morning for early childhood visitors and STEAM Night.

“Think of the Balloon Museum as your Fiesta home base,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Come in, explore, and enjoy the magic from a whole new perspective.”

“Balloon Fiesta season is when Albuquerque truly comes alive with ballooning,” said Balloon Museum Director Nan Masland. “We invite visitors to make the museum part of their experience and discover the stories, science, art, and adventure behind what they see filling the skies every October.”

Daily offerings during Fiesta

• October 2-11 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Take to the skies without ever leaving the ground. Visitors can experience the thrill of a balloon flight with the museum’s 10-minute VR Balloon Ride.
• October 3 | A new exhibition, Experimental: Beyond the Standard, explores the inventive side of ballooning, where there are no off-the-shelf answers. Discover home-built balloons, unconventional designs, and specialized aircraft created for missions that demanded something different. These are balloons built not just to fly, but to explore what’s possible.
• October 3-11 | Docent-led museum tours
• Daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. | Enjoy food trucks to satisfy your cravings with Desert Sky on the Fly for breakfast, Stan’s Scones and Coffee for tasty beverages and pastries, and Munchie Truck for lunch.
• Experience the acclaimed film The Balloonists, featuring Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones’ round the world flight. Daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., October 2-11 (except October 5), Anderson Family Theater – seating is limited, first come first served.

Special Programing in the Anderson Family Theater (seating is limited, first come first served). All talks will take place in the theater at 10 a.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 3: Alan Eustace, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) world record holder for the highest-altitude free-fall jump, will chronicle his experience in Stratosphere Exploration.
• Sunday, Oct. 4: Saburu Ichiyoshi, 2026 FAI Hall of Fame inductee, presents Paper Balloons Learn about the Japanese Fu-go balloons and ballooning in Japan.
• Monday, Oct. 5:  Scott Gneiting of Kubicek Balloons presents Ballooning Around the World Extraordinary journeys, inspiring pilots and your first steps into the world of ballooning.
• Saturday, Oct. 10: James Hanley Art appraiser and historian presents his research on a recent collections donation by Cynthia Bear A Sign of the Times: The Story of a 19th-Century Balloon Tavern Sign.

Family Friendly Programming With a View

• Monday, October 5 | New Mexico Free Day – In-state visitors receive free admission with proof of residency. Live music by New Mexican musicians from 9-11 a.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 7 | 7-9 a.m. — Balloons in the Sky: Early Childhood Morning with Explora – The Balloon Museum partners with Explora for a special early childhood morning designed to introduce young children and their families to the wonder of balloons and the excitement of flight. Enjoy age-appropriate, hands-on activities and live music.
• Thursday, October 8 | 5-7 p.m.- STEAM Night: The Joy of Ballooning. Enjoy hands-on activities for the whole family, local vendors, food from the Munchie Food Truck, and an evening of discovery celebrating the science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics behind ballooning.

Visitors will have a spectacular vantage point overlooking Balloon Fiesta Park, a perfect place to soak in the excitement of Albuquerque’s most colorful nine days of the year.

For more information, visit the museum website or follow the museum on social media.