National Balloon Museum

About Us

The National Balloon Museum dedicates itself to providing the public with a comprehensive understanding of ballooning and its history through its exhibitions and collections. The museum archives more than 200 years of ballooning, hosts 10,000 visitors a year (with 20 countries in attendance) and operates on more than 2,000 volunteer hours annually.

The museum’s facilities were expanded with an addition in 2003 which doubled the floor space of the museum.

Why Indianola, Iowa? The area is known for its prime flying conditions, and many balloonists call Central Iowa home. For many years, Indianola was the home of the Balloon Federation of America’s National Hot Air Balloon Championships, and currently is the home of the National Balloon Classic, a nine day premier ballooning event that attracts balloonists from all over the country. The Balloon Federation of America (BFA) established the museum in Indianola in 1973. The archives of the museum are the property of the BFA.