Barium bismuth oxide (BaBiO_{3}) is the end member of two families of high-T_{c} superconductors, i.e., BaPb_{1-x}Bi_{x}O_{3} and Ba_{1-x}K_{x}BiO_{3}. The undoped parent compound is an insulator, exhibiting a charge density wave that is strongly linked to a static breathing distortion in the oxygen sublattice of the perovskite structure. We report a comprehensive spectroscopic and x-ray diffraction study of BaBiO_{3} thin films, showing that the minimum film thickness required to stabilize the breathing distortion and charge density wave is ≈11 unit cells, and that both phenomena are suppressed in thinner films. Our results constitute the first experimental observation of charge density wave suppression in bismuthate compounds without intentionally introducing dopants.