Marionette Theater in Central Park

    I

     If you enter Central Park from West 81 street  you'll see one of the best-kept secrets of New York for kids:  Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. 
The Swedish Cottage is home to one of the last public marionette companies in the United States. Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre was founded in 1939 and today the company continues to fashion its own scripts, make its own puppets, and produce its own shows.

     The house was originally  constructed as a model schoolhouse and was  transported to Philadelphia to be shown as Sweden’s entry in the 1876 Centennial Exposition. 

    Central Park co-designer Frederick Law Olmsted liked  the  rustic building and at his urging the cottage was disassembled and transported to Central Park. The cottage was used as  the nature study center for children and an entomological lab before it became headquarters for the Parks Department’s Traveling Marionette Theater. 

The theatre holds up to 100 people and has a party room. You have to arrive half an hour before the show to be able to pick of the  seats.

The theater is a 5-minute walk from 79th and West Drive Central Park entrance. There are signs guiding you there. It is next to the Shakespeare Garden

"Neverland: Peter Returns"  runs several times a week through September 2018.

Based on J.M. Barrie’s iconic Peter Pan tales, Neverland: Peter Returns is the Swedish Cottage’s spin on the beloved children’s classic. Leaving their parents behind, the Darling children follow Peter Pan back home to Neverland for the adventure of a lifetime. When the cunning Captain Hook turns Peter’s pals Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell against him, the children team up with the Never Boys to save the day, learning the value of forgiveness and friendship (….)

The price is $8 for children and $12 for adults
You can reserve tickets  by phone:(212)988-9093. Address : 830 5th Ave  New York, NY 10065 Buy Tickets online Theatre Web Site

 This is also  a place  where children celebrate their 3/4/5 year old birthdays. $800 fee (for three hours)  includes private showing of current production, usage of party room for up to 75 people , equipped with child-size furniture, small microwave, small refrigerator, one large table and five small  tables.  An additional hour can be added onto the  party for the cost of $200.