Abuquerque, N.M. – Visitors can enjoy four new exhibits displaying history, art, culture, science, the sport of ballooning and other lighter-than-air craft at the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum this fall.  
 
YEAR-ROUND EVENTS
Guided Tours - The Balloon Museum comes alive when you take a Docent-led tour of the Museum.  Call 505.768.6027 in advance to schedule.  Free with admission.
 
School Field Trips – The Flying Bus Program provides complimentary admission and transportation to the Museum for qualifying groups, including Title I schools, underserved children, community and senior centers.  In addition, other school field trips are scheduled throughout the week and can include guided tours and classroom activities based on availability of docents and classroom teachers.  Call 505.768.6027 in advance to schedule.
 
Fly Your Own Balloon! Flight Simulator.  Soar through clouds, fly over Albuquerque and try to pinpoint the perfect landing— without crashing! The NEW flight simulator is on loan from the Fiesta® and is a lot of fun. Come and try out your ballooning skills. Free with admission.
 
NEW! The Sky Lounge.  Unwind and enjoy the magnificent views of the Sandia Mountains and Balloon Fiesta Park in the new Sky Lounge.  Bring your lunch, read a book, enjoy the children’s area, or bring your computers and surf the web with free WiFi.
 
Hands-On Fun! Discover the WOW (World Of Wonder).  If you haven’t visited the Balloon Museum lately, you have missed a great treat! Climb aboard the Double Eagle II, “launch” a balloon, go to “Balloon School” to weave a gondola and design your own balloon—and much more.
 
SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS
Through September 7, 2008 - Airships: The Big, Bad, and Bold.  Blimps, dirigibles, zeppelins . . . no matter what we call them, airships have played a fascinating role in world history, art, culture, science and recreation.  From the Hindenburg to Goodyear—from Graf Zeppelin to Led Zeppelin—images of airships challenge our imagination.  In this popular exhibit we revisit the wonder of these “monsters of the sky” through award-winning models, art and historical objects.   Free with admission.
 
Now Open (continuing into 2009) - Native Americans and Ballooning.  Native Americans have an intimate relationship to nature and the sky. From Peru’s Nazca lines to pottery and “Zebras,” learn about Native Americans’ cultural, artistic, scientific and historic connections to balloons and ballooning in this new exhibition.  Free with admission.
 
Now Open (continuing into 2009) - Las Nubes de La Palma / The Clouds of La Palma: Clouds, Weather and Ballooning. Spectacular photographs of clouds above the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) introduce the theme of weather. Delve into the ways clouds help us understand weather; the important role that understanding weather plays for balloonists; and the contributions of ballooning to weather research. A large area has been set aside for fun hand-on activities.  Here you can learn about “lift” with a wind machine; create your own tornado; start a weather journal; hold weather instruments and discover how they are used.  Las Nubes de La Palma was made available through the Spanish Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Meteorology of Spain.  Free with admission.