The immersive Balloon Museum in LA is a breath of fresh air

If you asked me a week ago what "balloon art" was, I'd probably tell you a wiener dog or giraffe made by a nerves-of-steel party clown on the kindergarten birthday circuit. Then I visited the Balloon Museum and, well — mind blown.

The traveling exhibition, which just landed in downtown Los Angeles and runs through Spring of 2025, reimagines our gravity-defying friends as contemporary works of art.

Since debuting in Rome in 2021, the Balloon Museum has drawn 4.4 million visitors across major European and U.S. cities, including London, Paris, New York, Atlanta, and Miami. The exhibition even caught Netflix's attention, appearing in 'Emily in Paris,' where Emily describes the experience as “walking into heaven on acid.”

Now, Angelenos and any art-loving visitors can go on that same trip themselves. Set in the Ace Mission Studios in the industrial-chic Arts District, the “Let’s Fly” exhibit showcases 21 “inflatable artists” who work with hot air, LED lights and rubber (sans latex to avoid triggering allergies). Unlike at a lot of other exhibits, you’re welcome to interact with these playful, immersive installations.

Plan for a 90-minute visit to take it all in, and dress like you’re going to play—not passively regard inanimate sculptures while trading hushed, dignified commentary with your companions. Despite the name, this is less of a Balloon “Museum” than an interactive art space, perfect for participants of all ages. So, be prepared to get a little down and dirty. Be equally prepared to significantly increase your camera phone's memory usage. This is the most photogenic exhibit imaginable. Selfie with a giant floating neon butterfly? Check. Video of you in the middle of a balloon cyclone? Nailed it.

The Balloon Museum has curated artwork from around the world, whether acquiring existing installations or commissioning exclusively for the traveling exhibition. Each rendition of Balloon Museum is different, influenced by the host city’s artistic community and culture, but all the artwork shares one thing: air. While each installation is special in its own way, here are six that — forgive me — really floated my boat.

Hyperstellar by Hyperstudio with Quiet Ensemble and Roman Hill

The installation immortalized by Emily in Paris did not disappoint in LA. Upon stepping into the room where Hyperstellar is housed, I threw off my shoes and leaped into a knee-deep pit of one million black spheres, submerging everything but my blue Dodgers cap. Above me, 17,000 glimmering balloons floated on the ceiling. Massive LED screens wrapped around the room, displaying cosmic images of exploding water droplets and air bubbles. Imagine a ball pit kids might find in a play zone, but ten times the size and more like Ibiza than Ikea.

The GINJOS by Rub Kandy

GINJOS are the unofficial mascot of the Balloon Museum. Inventions of the Italian artist Rub Kandy, these colorful, huge-eyed, glow-in-the-dark creatures with no nose or mouth practically dare you to punch them—or at least try to topple them. But while they may wobble back and forth, they don’t fall down. And maybe it's their silent, playful resilience—or just the fact that they’re really cute—but there’s something immensely therapeutic about the whole experience.

Spiritus Sonata by ENESS

Continuing in the adorable but provocative theme, Spiritus are massive, balloon-encased characters with long noses that become musical instruments and digital motion-sensor eyes that follow you as you interact with the installation. Think Mona Lisa meets enormous balloon elephants.

ADA by Karina Smigla-Bobinski

An homage to Lord Byron’s daughter Ada Lovelace—the 19th-century mathematician who envisioned art-creating machines and became known in some circles as the world’s first computer programmer—ADA is a giant helium-filled sphere surrounded by charcoal sticks. With the help of a few fellow museum-goers, I rolled that puppy around a white room, replicating the wild scribblings of a crayon-wielding preschooler on an empty canvas. Perhaps not what Lovelace had in mind, but fun nonetheless.

Mariposa by Christopher Schardt

This gigantic floating swing makes its Balloon Museum debut in Los Angeles. Built originally for Burning Man in 2023, the 26-foot-wide, LED-lit butterfly was a must-have for the curators from the moment they laid eyes on the kaleidoscopic creature. To make the wings flutter, simply pop a squat beneath them and start swinging.

Perpetual Ballet by Hyperstudio and Mauro Pace

Despite its serene name, Perpetual Ballet is more like getting stuck in a balloon cyclone. Visitors find themselves at the center of a powerful vortex of air as white balloons swirl around them in a “choreographed, cyclical dance” (hence the ballet reference). This made for an extremely shareable Instagram reel, although my glasses flew off my face midway through.

Just in case you don't capture enough snapshot-worthy moments as you interact with the exhibits, the Balloon Museum provides a few staged photo ops right by the exit. These include a halo of clouds where you can hide your face for the perfect "head in the clouds" shot and a large, pink pillow in the shape of a Stones-evoking mouth and tongue where you can recline, only to be shut inside. There’s also a Southwestern-themed balloon cactus living room setup, as well as an old-fashioned telephone booth filled with puffy pink balloons that stream out of the receiver.

Serious balloon art duly achieved—and not a party clown in sight.

Ready to go? Tickets to the Balloon Museum in Los Angeles start at $29 for children and $39 for adults, with discounts for California residents, students and military. Follow the exhibition on Facebook and Instagram.