Visiting the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta

A young girl stands next to a display of Sesame Street's Big Big and Oscar the Grouch at the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Visiting Atlanta with the family? Want to experience something off the beaten path from the usual tourist spots? The Center for Puppetry Arts in Midtown Atlanta is an amazing experience and sure to delight everyone in your group, young and old!

Plan Your Visit to The Center for Puppetry Arts

The Center for Puppetry Arts opened in 1978 with none other than Kermit the Frog and his creator Jim Henson as the official ribbon cutters. Since then, it has become the United States’ largest organization dedicated to puppetry, with over 5,000 puppets and artifacts. The facility is very unique and clearly stands out from surrounding buildings. It is easily one of the most well put together museums we’ve visited and is truly a template for other museums to follow. It houses the largest collection of Jim Henson productions which includes Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and more. It also highlights the history of puppetry from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, is nicely organized by continent and has several hands-on activities.

They also display visitor exhibitions at various times throughout the year. The only downside is that the facility is simply not large enough to display all the puppets and artifacts at one time, so it rotates out the collection at various points during the year. In addition to the museum exhibits, it offers a variety of on-going, awe-inspiring performances from their very own puppeteer actors. During our visit, we saw the annual Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Puppet Show based on the classic 1964 Rankin/Bass stop motion television special. We were blown away by this performance. Needless to say, it far exceeded our highest expectations. We especially enjoyed the puppeteers introducing themselves after the show and educating the audience on the various puppetry styles and techniques they use.

The performance ticket includes an option to participate in the Create-A-Puppet Workshop. This is a hands-on, curriculum-based workshop to take home your very own puppet, but don’t expect to walk away with a Kermit replica. If your family has teens, the Center for Puppetry Arts offers a “New Directions Series” specifically dedicated to adults and teens. In addition to the museum and theater, there are educational workshops like Puppetry 101, Puppetry for TV and Film for Teens and so on. The next time our family is in the Atlanta area, we will absolutely make a visit to this awesome destination.

Things to Know Before You Go:
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Phone: 404-873-3391
Address: 1404 Spring St. NW at 18th, Atlanta, GA 30309 (map)
Admission for Self-Guided Museum Tour Only: Kids ages 2-12 are $12.00; Anyone 13 and over are $16; Seniors 55 and over are $14; Infants under 2 are free. Puppet Show ticket prices vary by production, date and show time with regular and VIP seating options, it includes Museum Admission and Create-A-Puppet Workshop.
Hours: Tuesday thru Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays.
Parking: Limited free parking onsite
Bathrooms: Restrooms located inside the museum.
Allotted time: Around 2-3 hours if including a show, otherwise about an hour for the museum.
Other: Purchase tickets online for shows. Food and drinks are not allowed inside theater or museum. No photography or video recording allowed during performances. Strollers and carriers are not allowed in the theater due to space limitations but Center for Puppetry Arts staff will assist in storing them.