Kermit the Frog and creator Jim Henson cut the ribbon to open the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta when I was just a few months old. What began as a collection of puppets and community involvement has grown into a fantastic museum experience and a jam-packed calendar of shows and events.
The Worlds of Puppetry Museum offers a few hands-on experiences for the young visitors, plus a perfect mix of history and contemporary entertainment via many puppetry exhibits. I was fascinated by puppets from the 1800s. My daughter was excited to see a scene from the movie Coraline (which, by the way, we learned took 18 months to create and two years of pre-production). Our little guy was especially thrilled to see Elmo and Bert and Ernie. And of course, I have a nostalgic soft spot for the Fraggles!
The museum alone is a fun experience for the entire family, but I highly recommend stopping by for a show. The shows are always fun and fascinating with talented puppeteers, actors and singers. The latest show, Old MacDonald's Farm, is running through September 11th, 2016 - so get some tickets soon before they are gone. This show is very well suited to the younger children with songs, animal puppets, and even some water mist and bubbles. I wish I could have taken a photo, because our 2 1/2 year old was enthralled from start to finish. The energetic child who usually cannot sit still actually yelled "more! more!" when it was over. I think he could have watched it all day!
The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta has shows for all ages, including adult and teen programming. Check the Puppetry Arts schedule online to get your tickets to upcoming events and programs.