Center for Puppetry Arts

The Cen­ter for Pup­petry Arts opened to the pub­lic on Sep­tem­ber 23, 1978, when Ker­mit the Frog and his cre­ator Jim Hen­son cut the cer­e­mo­nial rib­bon. The first pup­petry cen­ter in the United States, today it is the largest Amer­i­can orga­ni­za­tion solely ded­i­cated to the art of pup­pet theater.

The Cen­ter for Pup­petry Arts is a unique venue and a cul­tural trea­sure. It’s a mag­i­cal place where chil­dren and adults are edu­cated, enlight­ened and enter­tained. Since 1978, the Cen­ter has intro­duced mil­lions of vis­i­tors to the won­der and art of pup­petry and has touched the lives of many through enchant­ing per­for­mances, curriculum-based work­shops and the hands-on Museum, as well as Dis­tance Learn­ing and Out­reach Programs.

Three per­for­mance series host a vari­ety of shows geared towards edu­cat­ing as well as enter­tain­ing audi­ences. Patrons of all ages will enjoy the pro­duc­tions in the Fam­ily Series and Sum­mer­Fest. Most pro­duc­tions meet Geor­gia QCC Stan­dards, and Study Guides for each Fam­ily Series show are avail­able for download.

Look­ing for an alter­na­tive activ­ity for date night? More mature audi­ences will appre­ci­ate the artistry and humor of the New Direc­tion Series, which includes the pop­u­lar Xper­i­men­tal Pup­petry The­ater. There’s some­thing for everyone!

Get up close and per­sonal with pup­pets in the Center’s Museum, which houses a col­lec­tion of pup­pets, books, posters and videos from around the world. Take a tour through Pup­pets: the Power of Won­der and dis­cover how pup­petry has influ­enced reli­gion, peo­ple and pol­i­tics through the ages. Spe­cial Exhibits focus on a par­tic­u­lar theme or style of pup­petry. Tours also meet Geor­gia QCC stan­dards. After the tour, take home a token of the expe­ri­ence by pur­chas­ing a pup­pet in the Museum Store.

Edu­ca­tion is a key ele­ment at the Cen­ter. Dis­cover your pup­pet pas­sion by learn­ing a lot from a dummy…or pup­pet. Mem­bers of the com­mu­nity are invited to par­tic­i­pate in Adult Edu­ca­tion classes, Dis­tance Learn­ing, Create-A-Puppet Work­shops, lec­tures and more. Many of the pro­grams can be cus­tomized to meet spe­cific Geor­gia cur­ricu­lum requirements.

The Cen­ter is the largest non-profit orga­ni­za­tion in the U.S. ded­i­cated to pup­petry. In addi­tion to a ded­i­cated staff and Board, it is sup­ported by its Mem­bers and gen­er­ous con­tri­bu­tions from indi­vid­u­als, foun­da­tions, cor­po­ra­tions and gov­ern­ment agencies.

The Cen­ter is a mem­ber of Atlanta Coali­tion of Per­form­ing Arts and serves as head­quar­ters of UNIMA-USA, the Amer­i­can branch of the inter­na­tional pup­petry orga­ni­za­tion Union Inter­na­tional de la Mar­i­on­nette, the old­est the­ater orga­ni­za­tion in the world. The Cen­ter is also a mem­ber of The­atre Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Group.

Venue:
Cen­ter for Pup­petry Arts

Loca­tion:
1404 Spring St NW
Atlanta, GA 30309

Phone:
(404) 873 — 3391

Hours of Operation:
Closed Mon: 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM Tues: 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM Wed: 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM Thurs: 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM Fri: 9:00 AM — 5:00 AM Sat: 11:00 AM — 5:00 PM Sun:

Fees

Ticket prices vary per activ­ity, with dis­counts for Mem­bers and group rates. Prices are listed on each per­for­mance page. In gen­eral, tick­ets to fam­ily per­for­mances are $16, which includes admis­sion to the Create-A-Puppet Work­shop and Museum. Tick­ets to adult & teen per­for­mances are $20-$24 ($12 for XPT), which includes admis­sion to the Museum. Lim­ited free park­ing is avail­able at the rear of the building.