This is an amazing place for looking at and experiencing puppets. There are 3 parts to this museum history, Jim Henson (creator of muppets and sesame street), and a changing puppet room. The history part was great with a wide variety of puppets from different countries and they even have puppets from Gumby and The Corpse Bride. The Jim Henson exhibit was amazing with so many of his famous puppets that made me star struck. The last part is a room that's themed and changed the time I went it was themed The Dark Crystal and had a lot of the characters from the movie. Overall my trip there was great and would highly recommend that anyone go and give this place a visit
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Very nice Place surprisingly easy to find a little tricky to get to the parking my girlfriend loves The Muppets and there's a ton of stuff on Jim Henson and the Muppets and a lot of exhibits on puppetry from around the world, lots of things that we learned about that day very interesting place to visit,
I took my 5 year twin girl and boy, along with their older sister, to their first puppet show yesterday. We saw Click clack moo and they loved it! My son is a high functioning autistic and he didn't want to build a puppet so a very friendly employee named Liz let my son play with some autistic items that she had on hand. We need her customer service everywhere every day!! Thanks Liz!! we will become members. And the center was remodeled very nicely.
I've been waiting to be able to visit this place for years now. It's not only a Henson fans dream, the overall collection is really rather impressive. The international exhibit is incredibly informative with some very noteworthy and recognizable puppets in the collection. The exhibits are designed to be inclusive of all ages as well, it's not just for kiddos. The tributes to Jim Henson made me tear up and I could've legitimately spent hours in the Dark Crystal exhibit; I wish I lived closer.
The Jim Henson exhibit was wonderful... but the whole place has only two rooms. And if you miss the theater show you feel cheated and don't get the full experience. The center needs to add more rooms and have more than one show a day.
Great stuff all around, but the Jim Henson permanent exhibit is particularly cool. Each member of our family got all nostalgic about different Henson creations. And none of us left disappointed.
The show here has always been phenomenal. However, at times, the help and the museum were nothing to write home about. Now the museum is home to the Muppets. It is as cool or better than the show itself. Any Muppet fan will enjoy seeing how they are made, old original puppets and even taking pictures on a mock set. Can't wait to go back!
Amazing! I took my grandson on an Atlanta adventure, while he was visiting. We ended up here and so happy that we did!! It is an incredible learning place for children to still use their imaginations!! The staff was so friendly! We had an awesome time!!!!!
We were in town visiting Atlanta over Christmas and found this gem on suggested places to visit. On Christmas Eve we attended the the production of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and were mesmerized by the performance. We've never seen anything like it and will definitely make a point to schedule our return trips to include a show here. There's a children's craft themed to fit the show that is included with your ticket purchase. This is also a museum that has children's interactive role playing staged within the Jim Henson gallery. Make plans to visit the museum, do a craft, and enjoy a beautiful performance!!
Just visited yesterday to see the Dark Crystal exhibit and truly this was a very memorable museum experience. The staff was incredibly helpful and nice, and overall I'm stunned how much there is too look at with the admission price. The Jim Henson exhibit really made me feel nostalgic and I was in awe seeing those puppets in person! The Dark Crystal exhibit was above and beyond, I am still so thrilled I got to see these puppets in person! In my opinion, this museum is a must do if you are in Atlanta!
Caught a great show and had a tour of the Jim Henson exhibit that sent me right back to my childhood. This is definitely a labor of love for everyone that works here. Great place to visit and catch a fun show for all ages
I am a huge fan of puppetry - especially the Muppets. I found out that the Jim Henson collection was here a year or two back but we don't get to Atlanta that often. So when my daughter's class got tickets to see the Pete the Cat puppet show there, I was glad to use that excuse to go with the family.
It was what I hoped it would be. For starters, the puppetry show exhibited the considerable talents of the puppetry staff who wrote and performed the delightful, flawlessly executed musical puppet show. I would pay to watch it again -- and I'm hardly the target audience. The general puppetry museum highlights puppetry from around the world and throughout time, with some remarkable samples that would impress any puppet connoisseur. Currently they have an exhibit devoted to showcasing many of the pieces from Jim Henson's movie "The Labyrinth" (starring David Bowie and a teenage Jennifer Connelly), all within a styrofoam "maze", naturally!
But the highlight for me was of course the Jim Henson collection that traced his career from small-time local TV all the way through the Jim Henson Hour. It was surreal and sublime for me to be able to get within inches (protected by glass) of Ernie and Bert, Grover, Rowlf, Fozzie, Scooter, Ma and Emmet Otter, Mokey the Fraggle, and a massive Garthim from the Dark Crystal, just to name a few. No, they by no means had them all (e.g. no Telly Monster, Swedish Chef, Bunsen & Beaker, Sgt. Floyd Pepper), but I was in awe of the ones they did have. Be aware that my only slight disappointment was the fact that the Kermit and Robin they have on display are photo models, meaning that we've no doubt seen them somewhere posed in pictures, but they aren't actual puppets ever performed by Henson or Nelson.
The Center for Puppetry Arts is housed within a building that's much older than it is but looks much newer; Jim and Jane Henson actually cut the ribbon when this place opened in 1978. In addition to the museum exhibits, they have an in-house puppet crew that designs and makes puppets and sets, and creates their own music for their shows. They also have a little workshop to give the youngsters a chance to build a very rudimentary puppet (paper in our case) and put on a little show for each other. They have a fairly small gift shop with some puppets and other related crafts and memorabilia, as reasonably priced as those things go.
It was all I could do not to walk out of there with an annual membership...and I still haven't ruled it out. I highly encourage the young at heart to visit.
It was really interesting! There was a global section that had puppets from all over the world. Some had videos that were shown of the puppets in use. The Jim Henson exhibit made me smile. It had his whole process of making the puppets on display. There were puppets that made me smile like Kermit, Big Bird, Elmo, and Miss Piggy. Highly recommend if visiting w/ children.
Great tour guide (Thanks, Googie) and terrific history and insights about Jim Henson and the Muppets including lots of models. Plan to spend at least 3 hours.
Wow, just wow. Must go and take the family, old and young. I had no idea it was there! My wife and kids had been a few times before with field trips. We got tickets to see Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, final performance. I was shocked it was so good and well done. I guess I was expecting something more basic, this was anything but basic. The show and museum are great!
This place was amazing. The Rudolph puppet show was great. My middle child had trouble sitting through all of it but she is 2. It was the tv version full length. My 4 year old and 1 year old were glued to it. A little bit older or younger and no problem. The exhibits made me feel like a kid again. Seeing the characters from all my favorite shows and Jim Henson's specials from the 80s. Really cool stuff. Would recommend for families with kids over 3 or 4. oldest loved making his own puppet workshop. Little more than I expected with all 3 activities. ($100 for a family of 5, 1 yo, 2 yo, 4 yo, and 2 adults for admission everything) but worth it. Good time. We will return. This is a special place.
Small but great. They pack a lot of knowledge in a small package. They have a few specific areas and at times traveling exhibits. You can see and read everything (except the shows) in an hour or more if you really stretch it. But, there's a lot of cool puppets from many eras that really make it great. Seeing how far the media has come is pretty great. I highly recommend a visit.
A little pricey but we had fun. Went with a school field trip and after paying admission, we were going to be charged an extra $15 for the museum per person. My little one enjoyed it and so did we though
Definitely go for a show. The shows are best for kids 3+. The museum, particularly the Jim Henson half is entertaining but not big enough to make it worth it without seeing a show.
We went for the first time today. The Beauty and the beast show was so we'll put together. We really enjoyed the museum. Especially the Jim Henson section with all of my childhood faves from sesame Street to labyrinth. The Dark Crystal special exhibit was so interesting as well as the chance to build your own puppet.
Ughhhhh. Just go. It was so cool. So many little things to look at in the museum. It was like meeting up with old friends from my childhood.
Only minor complaint, that didnt derail my experience just kind of disappointing was that there was no Fizgig puppet/creature in their Dark Crystal exhibit.
This is an amazing museum and luve Puppet Theater experience. We've seen two shows and been so impressed. The collections of puppets are fascinating, lots of information to take in. The staff are so kind and helpful as well.
I really enjoyed the Jim Henson Exhibit and had a great tour from Elizabeth. Got to see some of my childhood friends, like Kermit and Big Bird, just to name a few.
Went to a Christmas show; very entertaining. The seats are a bit uncomfortable and taller guests infront can obscure a child's vision. I suggest if possible to bring a booster seat for children under 4 feet in height to guarantee a good view. 5 stars for muesem portion. Jim Henson collection was in house at time of visit. Literal masterpieces on display.
This place is awesome if you like puppetry.. Has a lot of jim Henson memorabilia there. Brings back the memories. Its an easy place to spend 2.5 hours on.
We had a wonderful time ! Soooooo many memories were created. We learned a lot about different cultures and how art has and will always be the time that binds all of us together. #localtip: If money is an issue.. most library branches in the city and the suburbs will let you check out a puppetry arts pass . It gives you entrance #gratis to the museum.. you may have to pay for additional classes.. but at least the entrance will be free
Very enjoyable. We d never been to a place like this, unique museum that you don t typically find Our kids enjoyed the family series show (The Joshua Show) and creating a puppet after. Took about 1/2hr to 45 minutes to go through the exhibits after so it was a good 1/2 day activity. The staff was very nice and helpful.
I took my 5 year old granddaughter to see Stan the Snowman. The show was delightful and held her attention. Spacing was well done at the show and at the puppet making workshop. They gave you an option to take the kit home if you choose not to stay.
I went to the Center For Puppetry Arts with my girlfriend near the end of their Jim Henson ode. It was absolutely charming. From the outside and by the parking lot, you expect the museum to be nothing too special, a bit shabby and run-down -- but once you get inside, those preconceptions just wash away. Everything was so well done, with a splash of whimsy that brought me back to feeling like a kid. The permanent exhibit was fascinating and surprisingly interactive.
Love this place. Never wanted to leave. Couldn't understand why someone who worked there could hate their job. It would be a dream come true for me. I will never out grow puppets.
Amazing selection of puppets and educational materials about puppetry. Something for virtually any fan of puppets from past to present. The Jim Henson exhibit was great!!
Quality performances, outstanding production elements. The museum is rich in styles and history. And my kids loved that they were able to wrap up their experience by making their own puppet!
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss performed by these people was AMAZING. My daughter (4) loved the show and my wife and I loved that the script for the show was the book but with added sounds and actions. I stumbled on to this place on the web and was skeptical of it until after the show. I have and will in the future recommend this place to everyone with children even if you're only passing through Atlanta.
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