Step into a World of Whimsy: The Balloon Museum in London

The Balloon Museum in London, England is said to be the city’s latest craze, a place where imagination takes flight amidst a sea of colors, shapes, and sizes. Is it art? Is it a kid’s cafe? The newest form of Chuck-e-Cheese? I wouldn’t say it’s a museum, but it is something colorful and fun.

Coming from Seoul, Korea where everything is Instagrammable and art and culture collide continuously, anything that looks large, in charge, and whimsical is generally up our alley. So, we decided to check it out. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

Planning to visit the Balloon Museum? Here’s what you should know:

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

Basic Info

Address: 1 Old Billingsgate Walk (Riverside, 16 Lower Thames Street, London, England)
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 10:00am ~ 7:00pm; Friday: 10:00am ~ 8:00pm; Saturday: 9:00am ~ 8:00pm; Sunday: 9:00am ~ 7:00pm
Admission: Adults: £31.01; Children 4-15: £19.33
Website: www.balloonmuseum.world/

The great thing about the Balloon Museum is that it’s not just in London. You can visit this interactive installation in other cities around the world too including Naples, Italy and Atlanta, USA. They’ll be taking their show on the road to Barcelona, Miami, Düsseldorf and more too. Check their website for upcoming locations if this isn’t near you.

What is the Balloon Museum?

While I wouldn’t say it’s a museum, the lead curator heavily promotes the Balloon Museum as an inflatable art exhibition, so I guess it is a museum that houses art. The goal is to transport us all back to the wonder of our childhood and it does do that quite well, but it feels more like a warehouse filled with balloons than art museum.

If it’s art, can I touch it? Some people were pushing, bouncing, and rolling everything they could touch. High-concept play area is a bit more of a description from my perspective.

From a pool-style ball pit complete with ladders and a projection ball to the playful setups in Balloon Street, it's an invitation to immerse yourself in art and share your joy with the world.

A Playground with a Purpose

With installations by 20 artists, including larger-than-life inflatable rabbits and mesmerizing bubbles, there’s a fair amount to see once you step inside. Some are more interactive than others and considering the price tag, you’ll want to take your time going through the space to make it worth it.

If you have kids, they’ll get a kick out of the Kaleidoscope by Karina Smigla-Bobinski and the Playground Love where giant balls can literally bowl them over. Of course Hyperfeeling, the biggest ball pit you’ve ever seen, is probably the most fun, but there’s a time limit for that one unfortunately.

Swing by Motorefisico is pretty cool too and the kids around you will jump in to spin these giant balls around and around until they’re so tight, they’ll unwind themselves quickly and fiercely. There are stand outs to be sure, Synchronized Chaos by Miranda Makaroff was my favorite, but there are some rooms that are a bit sparse and empty and for what you’re paying, I think they could do better.

Not Just for Kids

While the museum is a wonderland for children, with its psychedelic ball pit and giant bouncy toys that could literally roll right over your kids, it’s designed to captivate visitors of all ages… and it does. You’ll see the Instagrammars taking loads of pictures and couples enjoying some playful fun.

Adults and kids alike can marvel at the kinetic energy of huge patterned balls dangling from the ceiling or lose themselves in a room pulsing with techno music and inflatable eggs that hark back to the beloved 70s toy, Weebles. Don’t just stand around. Make sure you interact and enjoy yourself too.

What We Really Thought

Having seen some incredible art installations and super Instagrammable exhibitions in Korea like Arte Museum, I think the Balloon Museum could do a bit more to really mesmerize the masses. There are hits, but there are misses in my opinion.

Some of the rooms could be amped up with more interactivity. It seems there was confusion between whether they wanted to go totally playful or stick with being a traditional museum where you just sit and watch. To touch or not to touch? Make up your mind.

We enjoyed the overall experience, however, I felt a bit slighted at the end as we walked through a shop of standard balloons that had been twisted into flowers and other balloon animals and were asked to pay.

For what we’d already paid, I think everyone should get a balloon animal to take home with them. Being asked to pay more for a couple of balloons seemed audacious. It wasn’t a small amount either. It was enough that I told my daughter we could buy balloons, watch a few YouTube videos and make our own at home for sure. It left a sour taste in my mouth.

If it hadn’t ended that way, I’d have been more pleased I think.

The Balloon Museum was certainly something. My daughter loved it. I think the price was a bit too much for what you get, but that’s coming from a Korean perspective where art and culture installations are not meant to be cost prohibitive. I heard from some locals this price was pretty standard for London so do with that what you will.

Did you like this posts? Pin IT!