Whether you are a puppetry aficionado, a puppeteer yourself, or completely new to the topic, the Center for Puppetry Arts Museum strives to help you form a deeper connection to the art form's broad history and cultural contexts. From the ancient to the contemporary, puppets and the stories of their puppeteers, productions, artists, and techniques fill the Museum. The Museum features two signature galleries and an annual calendar of rotating special exhibitions.
The Global Gallery presents a geographic exploration of the history and traditions of puppetry from different regions across the world. Visitors are invited to find the chains of influence through the art form, and consider how puppetry has been used to communicate messages of reverence, humor, protest, and entertainment across different cultures. Collection highlights run the gamut from puppets built by American artist and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inventor Tony Sarg, to Japanese Bunraku puppets donated by master puppeteer and Living National Treasure Kiritake Kanjuro III.
The Jim Henson Gallery explores the imaginative mind and influential legacy of animator, inventor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and puppeteer Jim Henson. Through the chronological path of his career, visitors will encounter iconic and lesser-known Henson creations, and learn about the backstories behind his productions and innovations in puppetry. This gallery includes puppets, props, and costumes from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and more.
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