Celebrate New Mexico’s Ballooning Tradition at the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Albuquerque, NM
– The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum is a year-round attraction for enthusiasts of ballooning and adventure. With the 2011 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® merely months away, the Balloon Museum has announced a variety of special activities and programs designed to enhance the Albuquerque ballooning experience for visitors and residents alike.
Beginning on Friday, September 30 and running through Sunday, October 9, 2011 special vents, exhibits and programs will showcase New Mexican traditions and culture, as well as New Mexico’s 100 years of statehood. The festivities will also highlight the sport of ballooning and Albuquerque’s contribution to flight and all things lighter than air. Museum docents are also available during Balloon Fiesta for in-depth group tours. Visitors can also enjoy the Balloon Museum’s ideal location, adjacent to Balloon Fiesta Field that ensures an excellent vantage point for viewing balloons and all the action above the crowds.
New Exhibitions
Returning visitors to the Balloon Museum and first time attendees can enjoy the newest exhibition, A Century of High Flying: Science, Space and Sport, designed to celebrate New Mexico’s centennial. This exhibition explores the contribution that balloons have made to New Mexico in tourism, top secret projects, stratospheric and astronomical research, remote sensing, aerospace medicine and
popular culture. Among the artifacts featured in the exhibition are instruments from the Moby Dick Cold War reconnaissance project to take high altitude photographs over Soviet sites, and an original photo of the Graf Zeppelin, which completed the first commercial passenger flight around-the-world flight in 1929.
Lighter Than Air Fair
The Balloon Museum will host its second Lighter Than Air Fair (LTAF). The LTAF will offer activities on the museum lawn during the “downtime” of the Balloon Fiesta. The LTAF is located within walking distance or a short shuttle ride from the Balloon Fiesta Park and is free to the public. LTAF will feature New Mexican artists, authors, non-profit organizations and fine businesses.
Visitors of all ages will be able to enjoy food, music, arts and crafts, exhibits, contests and many more activities as they explore the LTAF.
Celebrating New Mexico’s Centennial
The Balloon Museum will be kicking off New Mexico’s centennial celebration (1912-2012) with a different theme each day of Balloon Fiesta. Themes will center on celebrating 40 years of Balloon Fiesta, 100 years of statehood as well as the unique culture, diversity and wildlife of New Mexico. Featuring live music, family fun and children’s activities, the Balloon Museum will have an assortment of activities to entertain all age groups.
CIA International Hall of Fame
The Balloon Museum is the new permanent home of the Commission Internationale d’Aérostation (CIA) International Hall of Fame.
This Hall of Fame recognizes people who have made significant contributions to aerostation. Originally located in South Dakota, the Hall of Fame features some 40 existing inductees.
As it opens at the museum, the Hall will also feature four new inductees for 2011: Ron Clark, a member of the crew to make the first balloon crossing of the Pacific Ocean; Larry Newman, a co-inventor of the ultra-light airplane and co-captain on the first manned balloon crossing of the Pacific Ocean; Rocky Aoki, a restaurateur and a record-setting balloonist in crossing the Pacific Ocean in a helium balloon; and Olivier Roux de Villas, the founder of the French Aeronautical Federation and competitive balloonist. Past inductees with a New Mexico connection include Sid Cutter, the Balloon Fiesta co-founder, and Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo, two of the three balloonists of the first trans-Atlantic flight. Visitors can join the Balloon Museum in honoring those who helped establish the sport of ballooning.
About the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Read more about Ballooning in Albuquerque and the Balloon Museum …
