Activities for Kids

Give Them a Hand: NYC’s Best Puppet Shows

It's not your imagination: these things are everywhere lately. Here's where to catch the best ones in town!

By Rachel Sokol September 25, 2017

If you haven’t noticed, puppets are kind of a big deal right now. From a permanent exhibit celebrating one of the masters of the form, to tons of new productions, and perennial favorites, NYC is a real puppet town this season. No matter your child’s age or puppet preferences — colorful and fuzzy, classic marionettes, funky and fun — there’s a place to catch a high quality show. Click through to see some of NYC’s top spots for puppets!

For a New York Institution: Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre

Likely the city’s most well-known and longest running puppet theater, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre has been delighting audiences for decades. Located on the Upper West Side in Central Park, the marionette troupe performs children’s classics with innovative and fresh updates. In October, the theater will run its fall production of Hansel & Gretel's Halloween Adventure, in which the brother and sister duo once again embark on an adventure. This one involves beautiful mermaids, adorable monsters, swashbuckling pirates, charming vampires, and a fabulous witch, who together make for one unforgettable Halloween night in New York City! The show features more than 20 hand-made marionettes, and some new music and plot twists to make even a return viewing fresh and fun.

Once the holidays roll around, check out The Three Bears Holiday Bash, a marionette comedy of errors that includes a "12 Days of Christmas" singalong, running November 11 - December 30

Hansel & Gretel's Halloween Adventure
Oct. 13 - Oct. 31
Tickets: adults: $12; kids: $8
Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre
Central Park
Enter at 79th Street and Central Park West
212-988-9093
Online: www.cityparksfoundation.org

photo: CityParks/Justina Wong