Passport to Puppetry: Visit Big Bird, the Fraggles, More Puppet Friends

Cobb families can now pay a free visit to Big Bird, the Fraggles and a host of other popular puppet characters by using their Cobb County Public Library System library card.

Thanks to a new partnership between the Center for Puppetry Arts and Georgia's Public Libraries, citizens with valid library cards can check out the Center's new Passport to Puppetry at their local library.

"There are a lot of surprises with these shows," Allison Murphy, a Marietta resident and a puppeteer of the Center for Puppetry, said. "It's not your traditional puppets if you're thinking puppets are socks on people's hands."

The Passport to Puppetry is valid for up to four free museum admissions. Parties with children must include at least one adult. The museum provides educational fun with more than 350 puppets from around the world, highlighting the fact that every civilization on our planet has its own unique form of puppetry tradition.

In addition to four free admissions, the Passport to Puppetry also entitles library patrons to attend a performance at the Center and/or participate in a Create-a-Puppet Workshop at a 25 percent discount, when space is available.

Some of the Center for Puppetry Arts' plays are done with blacklight puppetry, projected animations and filmed shadow puppetry, Murphy said.

While the productions are targeted toward children ages four and up, there's something for everyone. "We get adults that love the stories and just want to come all the time," Murphy said.

Some families even dress up in costumes for the shows, making the productions an interactive experience.

Complete details, including valid dates, show times, hours of operation, and reservation information are available online at puppet.org. The museum at the Center for Puppetry Arts is open Tuesdays through Sundays with hours varying upon day and programming.

For more information on the Passport to Puppetry, visit cobbcat.org/puppets.

"There are a lot of surprises with these shows. It's not your traditional puppets if you're thinking puppets are socks on people's hands."