Balloon Fiesta week is bringing more than balloons to the sky over Albuquerque this year — it's bringing virtual reality rides, a new exhibit and a lineup of family programming to the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum. From Oct. 3 through Oct. 11, the museum is layering in special lectures, VR balloon rides, a feature film and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages, with the VR experience also available a day early on Oct. 2.
The museum, open year-round with exhibits about the history and science of ballooning, sits close enough to Balloon Fiesta Park that visitors can watch the balloons rise right from the building, according to KRQE. The VR balloon rides run daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., letting guests experience flight without leaving the ground. Docent-led tours run daily from Oct. 3 through Oct. 11, and food trucks will be parked outside throughout the week, per the same report.
A new exhibit called Experimental: Beyond the Standard opens Oct. 3, spotlighting unusual pieces from the museum's collection, including high-altitude balloons and home-built balloons, according to the station's report. Visitors can also catch the U.S. premiere of the film The Balloonists on Oct. 2, which tells the story of Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones' historic flight around the world, as reported by KOAT. The museum's Grand Hall displays a replica of that balloon's capsule. After its premiere, the film screens daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. from Oct. 2 through Oct. 11, except for Oct. 5.
Lectures, STEAM Nights and a Sensory-Inclusive Push
The museum's Anderson Family Theater will host a lecture series featuring ballooning experts, including a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale world record holder and a 2026 FAI Hall of Fame inductee, along with a historian presenting research tied to a recent collections donation, KRQE reports. The museum is also planning a STEAM Night focused on the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics behind ballooning, plus an early-childhood program called Balloons in the Sky featuring live music and hands-on activities, according to KOAT.
Museum Director Nan Masland told KOAT that the museum lets visitors continue their Balloon Fiesta experience after the balloons leave the field, and that there is something for everyone at the museum this week. An experienced balloonist has attended all 54 Balloon Fiestas. The museum is also introducing a sensory-inclusive initiative designed to make the facility more welcoming and accessible to visitors with different abilities, per the same report.
Dining With a View of the Launch Field
For those who want a meal with their mass ascension, the museum's Foundation is hosting 12 Observation Deck Balloon Museum Dining Events during Fiesta week — seven morning sessions and five evening sessions, running Oct. 3 through Oct. 11, according to balloonmuseum.com. Adult tickets run $230 per person for either a breakfast or dinner session. The museum sits roughly a five- to seven-minute walk from the southern entrance of Balloon Fiesta Park, and free shuttle service runs between the museum and the launch field. The museum and its indoor areas, including the balcony, are ADA accessible.
Admission and Hours
Museum admission is separate from Balloon Fiesta admission itself. Out-of-state adults pay $6, while children and New Mexico residents receive discounted rates, and New Mexico residents get in free on Mondays, per KOAT. Adults with a valid New Mexico ID also receive a $1 discount, according to balloonmuseum.com. The museum is generally open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays, and tickets may be used throughout the day until 4:30 p.m.
A $3 Million Backyard in the Works
Beyond this week's programming, the museum is in the early stages of a bigger transformation. Crews have begun work on an interactive outdoor exhibit called Outdoor Balloon Adventure, expected to bring a balloon tower, special shape sculptures and more to the museum's backyard, KRQE reported. Phase I — covering a ground plane, an elevated deck and walkway, the balloon tower and a sensory sky room — carries a probable construction cost of about $3 million and is fully funded, while the museum continues raising money for the roughly $2.7 million Phase II, which will add a shade structure, an inflatable balloon envelope and play components.
Fundraising has drawn support from a $250,000 donation from the estate of balloon enthusiasts Jim and Marlene Winker, according to KRQE. Separately, the museum was awarded $257,500 through the New Mexico Tourism Department's Destination Forward grant program to support the project's first development phase, the Albuquerque Journal reported in July 2025. That outlet put the two-phase project's overall estimated cost at $6 million, a figure that differs from the roughly $5.7 million combined total cited in KRQE's phase-by-phase breakdown. Museum Director Masland told the Journal the museum had been working to get the project off the ground for about five years as of that report.
