As you walk into Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio you are immediately sent back in time to your 7-year-old self who loved puppet shows.
You can’t quite remember the last time you saw a puppet show and are wondering why it’s been so long. I took my {almost} 3 year old to the Indiana State Museum to see her first puppet show and we were both equally amused and amazed.
Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio
The studio is a museum exhibit with marionettes throughout history. On display you can find British hand puppets, Czech Table Top Theatre, Disney marionettes and a myriad of other puppets. There is a sign hanging on one of the marionette displays reading ‘When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favor of the war effort, he simply replied…’Then what are we fighting for?” The Peewinkle Studio has carried on this near-lost art of puppetry since 1950 when it first started with Erica Melchoir in Ohio. Her studio Melchoir Marionettes now resides downtown Nashville, IN and is the sister studio to Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio here at the Indiana State Museum. Erica’s daughter Peggy continues the tradition and has taught her daughter Heidi and granddaughter Nevi her talents.
The current show Peewinkle Joins the Circus is running through September 23rd. Although it’s geared towards younger kids, there is much to appreciate for all ages. I’ve been told The Slightly Haunted Puppet Studio {coming in October} and Christmas at the Puppet Studio {a December show} are not to be missed. They’re the studio’s busiest shows and are often sold out.
MORE FUN: 50 Fall bucket list ideas!
Now that Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio is in the ISM they have more space and can fit 65 people in the audience. Tickets for the show are $12 with children 2 and under free! Members receive $2 off and popcorn is free for everyone. Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio also offers camps in the summer and workshops after each performance in the studio. The workshop is geared towards children 3+ to color their own puppet and have a chance to perform on stage for a cost of $3. The studio also has many marionette puppets for sale in their gift shop.
MORE INFO: Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio performs shows 1-2 times per day on various days of the week. Check their website for exact show times. The Indiana State Museum is located at 650 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. $10 Members | $12 non-members | Free for children under 2 (ticket required). To save $1 on processing fees, grab your tickets at the ISM website or by calling the museum rather than the Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio website. Registration for the event is suggested as tickets may sell out. For more information, visit indianamuseum.org or call 317.232.1637.
Don’t forget to snap a photo at the VisitIndy sign right outside the museum, take a stroll along the canal or see an IMAX movie at the ISM. We highly recommend the National Parks documentary playing now in 3D.
[shelly]
