Ad
Balloon Museum secures state grant for Outdoor Balloon Adventure development
This rendering shows the proposed Outdoor Balloon Adventure exhibit at the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum. The museum hopes to break ground on the project later this year.
Published
Modified
Just in time for its 20th anniversary, the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum has been awarded $257,500 through the New Mexico Tourism Department’s Destination Forward grant program.
The funds will help support the museum’s first development phase of its Outdoor Balloon Adventure exhibit, which will offer immersive experiences about the art, history and science of hot air balloons once complete.
“(The grant) means we are recognized as an important destination for New Mexico tourism,” Museum Director Nan Masland said. “The acknowledgement of the importance of ballooning, but also the importance of this museum to our economy and to our cultural identity as New Mexicans — it’s very meaningful.”
Masland said the museum has been working on getting the project off the ground for about five years. The two-phase project is estimated to cost $6 million, she added.
Project funding comes from a mix of state capital outlay and local fundraising, for which Masland said the museum is accepting partners and sponsors. She hopes they can break ground later this year.
The Outdoor Balloon Adventure exhibit will feature a walkway where attendees can travel through a half-inflated balloon, a sensory sky room and a balloon tower. Throughout the display, Masland said people will learn about all types of ballooning, from competitive to exploration. A performance and activity space and rest areas will also be included.
Opened in 2005 during that year’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which will see its 53rd iteration this year, Masland said the museum celebrates all facets of gas and hot air ballooning.
“Part of the reason we were such a strong contender for this Destination Forward grant is because it’s one of the things that New Mexico is known and loved for,” Masland said.
Aside from the museum, the Destination Forward program, managed by the New Mexico Tourism Department, awarded grants to 13 other projects for fiscal year 2026. A total of $1.8 million will support the planning, design, construction and renovation of tourism-related infrastructure projects across the state.
