Atlanta Family Fun: Center for Puppetry Arts

Yesterday was supposed to be a work day for us, that is until I won 4 tickets to the Center for Puppetry Arts and their newest show!  So I loaded up Nate, Eva, and Choobs and headed downtown for an afternoon of fun.

If you’ve never visited before, the Center For Puppetry Arts is an Atlanta treasure.  Opened in 1978, it was the first puppetry center in the country, and continues to be the largest American organization dedicated to puppetry in theatre.  Located right downtown at the corner of Spring and 17th, in a simple brick building, it’s easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.  But once inside, you will find a theatre and museum with a wide array of puppets from around the world, as well as a special section in memory of Jim Henson.

They offer a variety of shows for all ages, from toddlers to adults.  During the family series shows, they also offer Create-A-Puppet workshops free with the purchase of a show ticket.

Their current show is the  The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Silly Hollow.  Brought to Atlanta by a family trio known as the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, it’s a comical twist on the traditional Washington Irving tale.  Their puppets and props are all handmade, using common materials such as cardboard and ping pong balls.  The website states that it’s for children ages 4 and up, and I found that to be just right, as the littles I took were ages 4 to 7.

As soon as we arrived, we headed upstairs for the Create-A-Puppet workshop, where I helped the kids make a pumpkin head puppet.  Each table had all the needed supplies, as well as an easy to follow handout with directions.  Once the basic puppet was finished, kids were encouraged to add their own style of facial features, with plenty of paper, foam, crayons and markers at their disposal.

We were in for another treat when the kids were finished with their puppets.  The regular lights went off, and the staff flipped on a blacklight and music, and the kids were able to put on an impromptu puppet show!

Next we headed downstairs to the theatre for the show, and were quickly seated by a wonderfully helpful group of staff members.  The kids got a little restless in the few minutes before the show started, but hey, they’re kids, so it happens.

As with most theatrical productions, photography and video are prohibited inside the theatre, so I don’t have any pictures of my own to share.  I’ve posted some pictures and video below from the Frogtown Mountain and Center for Puppetry Arts websites, as a preview of what you can expect.

The show was funny and entertaining, and kept the attention of my kids the entire time.  The puppeteers did a wonderful job of creating an enjoyable show that appealed to all ages.  At the end, they came out and introduced themselves, and showed how they manipulated the different types of puppets.  They even had a few at the exit so kids could see exactly how they worked up close!

Once the show was over, we headed for the vending machines to grab a snack.  Food and drink are not allowed in the theatre or museum, which is understandable, but they do have reasonably priced snacks and soda right outside the theatre entrance.  We purchased some chips and soda, and stepped outside to enjoy our snack before visiting the museum.

I didn’t realize until after we were finished that around the building they have a beautiful picnic area with tables that are perfect for lunch or a snack!  At least we know for next time!

Once we finished our snack, we headed back inside to check out the museum exhibits.  We started with the Labyrinth and Fraggle Rock area, which were probably more exciting to me than the kids.  They thought it was cool, but since those were productions I grew up with, I was much more excited.  Next we went into the Sesame Street area, where there are several puppets, videos, and hands on exhibits for kids to explore.  Their favorite part was looking at the initial puppet sketches, before they were even put together.

After those exhibits, we switched over to the more classic puppet part of the museum.  This area showcases puppets from around the world, from rod, to hand, to shadow.  There were puppets from China, Bali, Mexico, and more.  The kids really enjoyed seeing the different types of puppet styles from around the world.  I think their favorites were the found materials puppets, as they had fun guessing what each puppet was made from.

Nate (our own artist) was so inspired by what he saw, that he came right home and made his own dragon from “found” materials around the house!

The Center for Puppetry Arts is such a great place for the whole family, we certainly had a blast yesterday afternoon, and will be sure to come back soon.  The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Silly Hollow is showing through November 4th, and there are some great ticket deals available that I’ve linked to below.

Available showtimes:

Wednesday- Friday, 10:00 AM & 11:30 AM
Saturday, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Sunday, 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM

Regular ticket prices are $16.50 per person (under 2 are free), and that includes the show, museum, and puppet workshop.

Posh Dealz currently has half price tickets for the 11:30 shows on Wednesday (10/31) and Thursday (11/1).

If those dates don’t work for you, use coupon code SAVVY for a $2.00 discount on each ticket purchased through the Center for Puppetry Arts website.

If you can’t make it out this week, their next family show is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (November 8th-January 6th), which is sure to be fun for everyone.  Kids (and parents) can make their own Hermey the Elf shadow puppet before or after the show, and as always, the workshop and museum admission are included in the show ticket price.

The Center for Puppetry Arts also offers a great membership program.  For a yearly fee, members can save up to 45% on tickets, and gain free and discounted access to many other events.

**I was not compensated for this review.  We won 4 tickets through a giveaway hosted by Mushy Mamma.  All opinions expressed are my own.