Look behind the scenes of the fascinating world of puppetry. This interactive museum is fun and educational for the whole family. Visitors can try their hand at being an actor, director, artist, or stage master. Exhibitions feature masks, stage sets, costumes, props, and puppets of all shapes and sizes. The museum’s latest exhibition, “The Anatomy of Theatre Puppets,” delves into the inner workings of puppets – the materials and mechanisms that bring them to life during animation.
A distinctive feature of the Museum of Puppetry Arts is its continuously expanding collection, thanks to its proximity to the repertoire of the Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences. When a production concludes its journey in front of the audience, its most significant storytelling tools find their way into the museum. Many theatre visitors may recognise familiar items and puppets from the exhibition including a Time Machine, that were used in performances. In recent years, three exceptionally unique puppets have found their way into the Museum of Puppetry Arts’ collection. By chance, these puppets ventured out from the theatre, but have since returned home through adventures and are now exhibited in the museum’s permanent exhibition. Visitors can witness firsthand a Stepmother puppet from “Cinderella” (1956), a Duremar puppet from “The Golden Key, or The Adventures of Buratino” (1969), and a Mr Moustache puppet from “The Boy with Green Thumbs” (1979).
Performances of the Estonian Theatre for Young Audiences can be enjoyed from September to June.