About the Museum
The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoaxipedia (the museum's online encyclopedia of hoaxes), and the Hoax Forum.

The museum was created in 1997 by Alex Boese. He's assisted by a staff of deputy curators and docents. Alex is the author of three books, most recently Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments (which has nothing to do with hoaxes). Check out the list of the Top 20 Most Bizarre Experiments of All Time for a preview.



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#11: UFO Lands in London
Branson's UFO Balloon On March 31, 1989 thousands of motorists driving on the highway outside London looked up in the air to see a glowing flying saucer descending on their city. Many of them pulled to the side of the road to watch the bizarre craft float through the air. The saucer finally landed in a field on the outskirts of London where local residents immediately called the police to warn them of an alien invasion. Soon the police arrived on the scene, and one brave officer approached the craft with his truncheon extended before him. When a door in the craft popped open, and a small, silver-suited figure emerged, the policeman ran in the opposite direction. The saucer turned out to be a hot-air balloon that had been specially built to look like a UFO by Richard Branson, the 36-year-old chairman of Virgin Records. The stunt combined his passion for ballooning with his love of pranks. His plan was to land the craft in London's Hyde Park on April 1. Unfortunately, the wind blew him off course, and he was forced to land a day early in the wrong location.

Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 2 of 2 pages  <  1 2
Haha if that happened in america they would've suspected a terrorist attack and blown his balloon to pieces!
Posted by R  in  UK  on  Thu Mar 31, 2005  at  10:30 PM
Hang on! It says that a small silver-suited man came out. How did he make himself 'small'?
Posted by w  in  Pakistan  on  Sat Apr 02, 2005  at  10:34 PM
Cool prank Branson is a hero.
Posted by jimbob  in  South East  on  Mon Apr 18, 2005  at  05:33 AM
"Unfortunately, the wind blew him off course, and he was forced to land a day early in the wrong location. "

Big surprise there then!
Posted by Jinga  on  Sat Apr 23, 2005  at  12:59 PM
He had with him a midget dressed in space suit. He himself was in a E.T. costume.
Posted by Zeiar  on  Wed Apr 27, 2005  at  10:51 AM
wouldnt it have been gay if the policemen shot him lol
Posted by dsds  on  Fri Jun 03, 2005  at  02:00 AM
This sounds to me like War of The Worlds when it first came out and everyone thought we were being invaded by aliens. I wonder if Orson Wells had anything to do with this?
Posted by Sherie  on  Sat Apr 01, 2006  at  10:42 AM
That is sooo great! I would have loved to have been there. I think I would've almost believed it too. I like to think there are aliens somewhere out there...
Posted by Stefan  in  Glendale  on  Sat Apr 01, 2006  at  05:06 PM
that is soooo typical of british to send in some cops to investigate, LMFAO armed with battons like wtf do they think they are going 2 do? hahaha
Posted by Elliot  in  home  on  Sat Apr 08, 2006  at  06:10 AM
It's a conspiration like everythings else !! The goverment try to erase all the proof about the alien! So, I don't believe in that prank !
Posted by mike  in  New-york  on  Wed Apr 12, 2006  at  04:40 AM
Richard is not a very big guy
Posted by sueper  in  UK  on  Thu Feb 01, 2007  at  03:12 PM
I was 12 at the time and waiting at a bus stop, waiting with a crowd of people when we saw it coming slowly and silenty over the railway bridge on Leytonstone High Street. Nobody said a word as we all watched this spectre creep acroos the sky.

Honestly, this was so beliveable that my mum brought it up in front of my girlfriend a few months back.. now she thinks my mum is a bit nuts!
Posted by Chris Lartey  in  Edinburgh  on  Sun Apr 01, 2007  at  03:02 PM
This one makes more sense. I probably would have for this one because I'm a freak on the paranormal and yes, I would have felt sort of foolish after finding out it was a prank. That aircraft in the picture looks bigtime like a hot air balloon. Anyone who believes in the paranormal would probably fall for it.
Posted by Smiley  in  On Earth  on  Fri Aug 17, 2007  at  06:48 PM
"What was the figure that came out?"

It was a monkey, shaved ne'kid, dyed with green food coloring, and all covered in tin foil.

Doing something that weird to his poor monkey - it's no wonder that Richard Branson was a 36-year-old "VIRGIN" excaim tongue wink
Posted by Anony Ent  on  Mon Dec 24, 2007  at  08:51 AM
It's good to see that RB hasn't lost his touch in 2008...what no little green men from mars?
Posted by Paul Millett  in  Redding CA  on  Tue Apr 01, 2008  at  11:10 AM
Imagine if the Policeman had fired at the "Alien"? He would not have been charged for anything since there are no laws stating you can't shoot an Alien.
Posted by MAZ  in  London  on  Thu Apr 03, 2008  at  12:55 PM
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