The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum has launched a new interactive exhibit called Elevation Station.

 "There is an awesome new exhibit that everyone's got to check out,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said in a video. “ It is called Elevation Station and it was designed by a bunch of awesome folks and made for kids. It is super interactive." 

Kids can enjoy a balloon simulator, the mayor said.

“The simulated balloon goes up and down and all sorts of things,” he said. “It’s really, really cool and showcases the fact that we are the balloon capital of the world.”

Legendary ballooning father-daughter team Troy and Savannah Bradley joined with Caryn Welz and experts from both Explora and Electric Playhouse to design the exhibit, the museum said.

“This engaging, hands-on exhibition excites the young and young at heart about the joy, science, culture, and art of ballooning,” the museum said. “ Through interactive games with projection mapping and touch tables, hands-on activities, and immersive experiences visitors will learn more than they expected about this exhilarating sport.”

The museum, named for balloonists Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo, opened in 2005 and has attracted a million visitors since from around the world.

Its mission is to “inspire a spirit of exploration, discovery, and achievement through experiences that engage our visitors in the history, science, sport, and art of ballooning and other innovative forms of flight.”

Admission is free on the first Friday of each month and each Sunday from 9 a.m.– 1 p.m, according to the museum’s website.

Regular admission is $5 for adults who are New Mexico residents and $3 for those 17 and under. There is no admission charge for museum members.

As of Aug. 2, visitors must wear masks regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated, the site said.