The Ballonmuseum Gersthofen, located in the town of Gersthofen, Germany, is a unique museum dedicated to the history and technology of ballooning. It explores the fascinating world of hot air and gas balloons, presenting their historical, scientific, and cultural significance.
Ballonmuseum Gertshofen
Bahnhofstraße 12
86368 Gersthofen
www.ballonmuseum-gersthofen.de
ballonmuseum@stadt-gersthofen.de
+49 821 2491506
Wednesday – Friday 13:00 – 17:00
Thursday 10:00 – 19:00
Saturday – Sunday 10:00 – 17:00
Closed December 25-26, December 31and January 1
Admission fee
Gift shop
Highlights of the Ballonmuseum Gertshofen:
- Historical Exhibits:
- Displays about the early days of ballooning, including the first manned flights in the 18th century.
- Artifacts, documents, and equipment used in the evolution of balloon technology.
- Interactive Exhibits:
- Hands-on exhibits and simulations that allow visitors to understand the principles of buoyancy and flight.
- Displays showcasing how modern ballooning differs from its historical origins.
- Cultural Impact:
- Insights into how balloons have been used for exploration, science, military purposes, and leisure.
- Architectural Appeal:
- The Ballonmuseum Gertshofen is housed in a beautifully designed space, making the visit visually appealing.
- The beginnings of ballooning in Germany
- Technology, balloon production and balloon sports
- The balloon in the service of science and military
- Records and disasters
- The “air ball” conquers the world
- Alfred Eckert aeronautics collection
One of the museum’s particularly noteworthy exhibits is a replica of the gas balloon prototype with which Joseph Maximilian Baron von Lütgendorf unsuccessfully attempted to conquer the skies from Augsburg and Gersthofen in 1786, becoming the first German balloonist to do so. The new museum building is built virtually around this balloon with its ornate ship-shaped Renaissance gondola.
On the first floor the spherical pressure capsule of the balloon is exhibited, with which Auguste Piccard successfully set his stratospheric altitude record (15,785 m) from Augsburg in 1931.