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    Balloon Museum

    4.0 (86 reviews)

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    Terry K.

    This Balloon Museum is conveniently located and easy to get in and out. Who knew they had price surging? YUP! Surging on the long weekends and also for summer.... I guess that is their busiest times. But I wanted to see what new exhibits were added as this Balloon Museum travels the world. This is their second appearance in the State of California. I saw the Museum in Los Angeles last year. Yes, they do have new exhibits added compared to what I saw last year. The Balloon Pool had orange balloons compared to black that I've seen before. Very organized! Not sure why their price was so high but I guess it is what it is. Once you see this Museum you are set! No need to go again.... unless you check the listing of exhibits and compare it to what you've already seen The interaction with sound to the balloons is what you want to see! Go ! At least Once ok?

    Entry
    Sherri W.

    An amazing adventure at The Palace of Fine Arts to host The Balloon Museum. With so many exhibits I felt there wasn't enough time to relish in the creativity of the artists. It was so much fun. I also appreciated how each exhibit had a tribute from the artist who created their exhibit, it gives you a little perspective. There are way too many photo ops & way too little time, but I was so glad to have participated at this museum.

    Shawna G.

    I visited the balloon museum on the last day they were open. I was confused by the large blow up person laying on their back, where you literally walk through their spread legs. The art piece was labeled as a disabled person, but when I walked through the art, and even above this piece, I searched thoroughly for some indication of it being a disabled person and saw nothing... just felt like a very unnecessary piece to put in a museum that attracts kids. Most of the rooms were interactive with was fun only if you interact with the rooms. I think three of the coolest rooms were the giant ball pit, the dark bubble room, and the room with the colorful glass that gets projected onto the walls. The ball pit room played a strange video on the screens that included mushrooms, a man floating around that was a shadowy figure and a giant eyeball. Again, it was very strange for a balloon museum that definitely attracted a lot of kids. The last weird thing we saw was this room where you put on virtual reality goggles and you would think they would show something kid friendly or having to do with balloons, but it showed some dancers that were in piñata looking clothes and they were touching each other and very much virtually in your face. Before we got to see what people were seeing, I saw a little girl take off her goggles and she didn't want to put them back on, but I don't blame her. Overall the museum had some cool interactive rooms, but there was a fair amount of weird things I wouldn't want my kids to see.

    Ada H.

    My best friend and I had really high expectations for this museum but most rooms were pretty lackluster. We had a time slot for 11:30 and were swiftly led into the first exhibition which were a bunch of balloon arches. Our favorite room was the ball pit but unfortunately they only gave us a minute before they started their show. Once the show ended, everyone was told to leave the room. If we had known, we would've waited for the next show so we could truly enjoy the room. The short time we did have, the ball pit room was perfect for photo ops and we were delighted by the nostalgic feeling of playing in a ball pit. Our second favorite room would be the silver balloon room. We adored the color scheme! The whole exhibition took about 40 minutes which we felt was not worth the price. I would say if you do have kids, it is worth it for them to enjoy.

    Aesthetically pleasing to look at though.
    Ilse H.

    I'm sorry but I expected more from this place, especially what I paid for. It's definitely pricey on the weekends. The ball pit was the funnest interactive portion but everything felt eeh to below mid. For the price, I expected a lot more interactive rooms. The bubble room needs a few mops here and there because even with the shoe socks on, my pants were getting soaked at the bottom. The workers seemed miserable. Although, I don't blame them since doing a repetitive task can be draining. Pick something else if visiting SF.

    Airship Orchestra
    Elaine N.

    This museum is so fun! We went here on a Saturday around 4:30pm and it wasn't too crowded that day. This museum reminded me of the museums in Japan and they have a cafe with snacks and drinks too! Anyways, I loved how interactive this museum is and I had a bunch of "favorite" rooms. My favorite rooms were the Invisible Ballet, Swing, ADA, Airship Orchestra, Hyperfeeling, and Playground! Out of all those favorites I listed, the Hyperfeeling room was my very favorite because of how fun the ball pit pool is! I'd recommend this place! We spent a little over 2.5 hours here, but I would've stayed longer if we didn't have other plans in this area. I tend to love interactive museums and exhibits, so this was a lot of fun.

    Shannon T.

    A pretty cool museum located in the Palace of Fine Arts. It's inside where the old Exploratorium used to be. We went on Juneteenth so there was somewhat of a crowd, but nothing too crazy. The tickets were pretty expensive for what the experience was and I don't think it's worth it for about ~$50 per person. We spent about less than 90 minutes here. The exhibits are really cool and you can get really hands on with the exhibits. There's giant balls you can play around with and you can walk inside and through really neat inflatable structures. I'm really bummed out about the ball pit room because we only got to be there for maybe 10 minutes or less and I saw other reviewers said they got to be there for longer. I think we got the short end of the stick because we were one of the last few people to get in before the next group, and when we got in the video experience started. The workers then had usher everyone out and I wish I had more time in this room. We got a few neat pictures in but it was a bummer. The gift shop has balloon animals you can purchase as well as other merch. Theres a dessert and drink bar too. Overall, it was a neat experience but definitely not worth for the money. I'm still pretty bummed out from the ball pit room.

    Anna L.

    My husband and I actually had the BEST time together at the Balloon Museum! We were in SF for work, but I surprised him with tickets to celebrate his birthday on the day we flew in. I had seen the promo video for EMOTIONAIR and it looked awesome, but I didn't really know what to expect. These types of pop-up/traveling museum experiences can be hit or miss sometimes, but we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of balloon installations and interactive elements. Even without having children, we had a blast. The experience starts from the moment you arrive outside with the Octopus Attacks! installation taking over the building with its tentacles. The venue being set at the Palace of Fine Arts is the perfect backdrop and makes for a beautiful walk before and/or after the museum experience. There are at least 20+ different rooms/installations and we both felt like the length of the experience was well worth the price. We went through the whole thing in about 1.5 hours, but you could spend more time if you had young children who were actually playing along the way. I took wayyyy more video content and than photos (pics don't really do it justice), but I'd have to say one of our favorite installations was the Invisible Ballet -- a room filled with hundreds of silver balloons dancing through the air while you stand in the middle of it, wind blowing your hair everywhere -- it was so fun! We also really loved the massive ball pit "HYPERFEELING" that was thankfully not too crowded when went. The whole digital show within the ball pit room is so cool, we spent about 15-20 minutes in that part. I'm glad we were able to catch this unique museum while were were in town. There is even a VR experience and cute balloon shop at the end. Loved the balloon flower bar!

    Balloon Bar
    Melissa B.

    Balloon Museum is great for everyone! It is a good family activity to do with your kids, or it makes for a great date night with your significant other. Planned this day to spend with my hubby, we spent $108.34 for two tickets. Location of the museum is at the Palace of Fine Arts. There was a lot of interactive things to do, I suggest to bring some hand sanitizer wipes if preferred. You are able to touch, play, feel, and see. You're interacting through art! Had a lot of fun taking pictures and getting videos. At some points there was long lines started to form, but it didn't take long to get through them. Towards the end, you're able to buy snacks, drinks, candy, etc.

    Kashyap J.

    The Mother's Day called for something both mom and son love. We went to the museum for 3:30 entry on a weekend. You can stand in the line little later to not have cranky toddler. The museum exhibits are a mix. We loved the ball pit, bubble sound machine , the bubble laser show and most importantly balloons from shop. It took 1.25 hrs to complete it. Our son was not excited for some of them as it was over stimulating. Loved the ball pit experience. There are restrooms at the entry and make sure you visit since there is only one route to go from one to another. It can get stuffy inside depending upon number of people. But visit once for the experience. Parking is $3 per hour and could be long wait too.

    Gift shop and cafe
    Annabelle R.

    We checked out the current exhibition at the Palace of Fine Arts this past weekend, Emotionair: Art You Can Feel. Staff worked efficiently, so there were no delays with entry (at our reserved time), and the entire experience was well organized. Visitors can explore at their own pace once inside, though there are some lines for a few exhibits, no unreasonable waits. Shoe covers were provided for a couple of the rooms (far more efficient than having people remove their shoes, like at other similar interactive art exhibitions). There are clear signs describing each work of art, keeping with the balloon theme, images or use of inflatables, hot air balloons, LED balloons, and bubbles. Emotions are connected to each interactive exhibit, including surprise, anger, frustration, contemplation, resonance, trust, enthusiasm, entrancement, layered, expectation, amazement and wonder, and carefree joy. My faves were the "Hyperfeeling" ball pit which combines multiple emotions as visitors of all ages engage in a multimedia show, and the giant inflatable bunnies (even if they're meant to be creepy with the tunes playing in the background) in Momoyo Torimitsu's "Somehow, I Don't Feel Comfortable". But I also really liked "Invisible Ballet", being immersed in what is described as a tornado of balloons, and "A Quiet Storm", surrounded by soap bubbles and captivated by the lovely shadows created with the light effects. There's a gift shop and cafe at the end, serving pastries, desserts, and cocktails. There are a few tables and seating here too, as well as an additional VR exhibit (not for kids), The Eternal Guardians, which we were able to experience before leaving. Note, if you use the bag/coat check in the beginning, you need to exit the venue at the end and walk outside back to the museum entrance to retrieve your belongings.

    Vinkin Ken T.

    I was fortunate to grab the tickets at 50% off. Had a 6pm time slot for a Thursday but we arrived by 5pm. We had to wait until 6pm. No early entry. There are some nearby benches plus the Palace of Fine Arts to walk around to pass the time. You can also buy tickets in person. It seems any time slot between 5-6pm, had a few people entering but by 6pm there was a medium size line. Still it didn't seem overly crowded once inside. Lighting is dim, so photos on iPhones don't come out as nice. There is a fee for coat check, I believe it was a $5.xx a piece. We decided to keep ours and our backpack on. We only really needed to set them down for a bit while we were in the giant yellow ball pit room. There are restrooms before you enter as well as inside. The water fountain near the entrance has been broken for some time. We spent a little less than 1.5 hours there. A fun place for families, groups of friends or even date night. Seniors may not enjoy it so much due to the strobe lights and stairs. At first the pieces seemed underwhelming but it got better. Staffs for the most part were nice. However the last bit in the VR room, the staff looked like he didn't wanna be there. There is a bar-ish area and a gift shop but that was at the end. It would have been nice if we were allowed to hang out there before our timed slot to get a drink. Who wants a cocktail or beer after the fact?

    Balloons
    Rosie M.

    We had such high expectations for the Balloon Museum. We arrived 30 minutes early, but they let us in anyway. The ticket checker at the front almost didn't let me in because he did not read that our ticket was a family ticket with two parents, not one. The workers were not very kind. The art installations were cool but it would have been nice if they warned us ahead of time that some of the exhibits would be incredibility loud and overwhelming. We weren't prepared and didn't bring ear plugs or headphones to protect our ears. Best room: the ball pit Worst room: the first bubble exhibit with the loud sounds.

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    Ask the Community - Balloon Museum

    Will this be open in December?

    No. The one in SF is only through Sept 28th.

    Is it accessable for seniors with a cane and mobility issues?

    I wouldn't recommend it for that demographic. While they might be able to walk through the venue and look at the exhibits, there's many exhibits that have a lot of sensory things happening and it might be overstimulating or stressful, esp if they… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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