The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum

The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, which opened its doors in 2005, features exhibits that include fascinating artifacts, some of which date back to air travel’s earliest days: The first hot air balloon flight and the first gas balloon flight both took place in Paris in 1783. 

Few, if any, museums start with an accidental death. Yet two such tragedies make up the first entries in the timeline of this Albuquerque museum, a center dedicated to exploration through ballooning. But rest assured, a visit to this museum is truly an uplifting experience.

Two renowned Albuquerque balloonists, Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo, completed the first nonstop transatlantic gas balloon flight in 1978. Tragically, Anderson was killed in a balloon accident in Germany five years later. Two years after that, Abruzzo died when a plane he was piloting crashed near Albuquerque.

It’s in their memory that this museum is named, and Albuquerque is a natural home for it, as the city has been hosting the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for more than 50 years. The museum offers views overlooking the Balloon Fiesta’s official launch field.

The museum’s architecture, by Studio SW, suggests an inflating balloon on its side and boasts a tensile fabric roof and an inflated balloon in its 75-foot-tall gallery. There are balloon simulators and various exhibits inside, plus balconies, roof decks and a plaza for watching the private balloon rides offered by local businesses.