Towering Inflatable Sculptures Inspire Whimsy At LA Balloon Museum

LOS ANGELES, CA — Stepping into each exhibit at the Los Angeles Balloon Museum makes you feel small.

Giant inflatable sculptures tower around museum visitors, thrusting them into memories of childhoods drenched in whimsy and bright colors. The interactive pieces of art in each different room encourage guests to leave burdens at the door and become a kid again.

From a massive ball pit designed to immerse guests in cosmic wonder to brightly-colored inflatable characters symbolizing an all-seeing otherworldly tribe, each exhibit at the newly opened pop up showcases the unique practice of inflatable and balloon art.

"Inflatable art can be seen as maybe sometimes a little bit childish, but at the same time, it's so playful. It's so fun," Communications Coordinator Elisa Bono told Patch. "Each place is designed or created by an artist, each thing, each angle, each corner that you see in this exhibition has been curated and chosen by artists."

Following successful limited runs around the world — including in Rome, Paris, Barcelona, New York and more — The Balloon Museum chose to bring its critically acclaimed show "Let's Fly" to L.A.'s Arts District.

Set at Ace Mission Studios at 1601 E. 6th St., the Balloon Museum has secured works by 21 artists designed to place viewers at the center of the experience. Since its journey kicked off in 2021 in Rome, over 4.4 million people have visited the museum, and it has been featured in the Emmy-nominated Netflix show "Emily in Paris."

"Let’s Fly seeks to surprise and delight viewers with an otherworldly experience they won’t receive anywhere else,” said Roberto Fantauzzi, president of Lux Holding. “The creative enclave of the Arts District was a natural fit for our next destination, and we are thrilled to join this vibrant community and welcome Los Angeles visitors and residents to Balloon Museum.”

Guests who want to bring a piece of the museum home are also in luck, as a team of talented balloon artists traveling with the show are prepared to make unique sculptures on the fly for people to bring home. Just like classic balloon animals at kids parties, guests can pick different shapes for the artists to create, including different flowers, dogs and other fun things.

The pop-up officially opened to the public on Wednesday and will run through March 16, 2025. Pricing for tickets is as follows:

• Adults (13+) $39
• Children (4–12 years old) $29
• Family ticket (two adults and two children) $31
• California resident/student/military/seniors/people with disabilities $36

"You're missing out if you're not here, and I am not kidding," Bono said. "People really don't understand the immensity of how large the place is and how large the artworks are until they come here. It's something you just need to experience firsthand."

For more information about the Balloon Museum, visit BalloonMuseum.world.