Puppetry Arts Institute, Independence, MO

The Puppetry Arts Institute is located at 11025 E. Winner Road, Independence, MO 64052. The Institute is closed Sunday and Monday and open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. They are a non- profit organization that hopes to preserve and promote puppetry through education and entertainment. The Puppetry Arts Institute has a museum, performances, and workshops.

There are many past and present exhibits that visitors to the Institute have enjoyed. Some of the exhibits include: Puppets: Depression thru Recession, Hazelle Puppets & Memorabilia, History of Punch and Judy Display, Robert LeRoy Smith Display and New Toy Theater Exhibit.

The Puppets: Depression thru Recession exhibit features marionettes that were created by W.P.A. artists that worked at the Nelson Atkins Museum from 1934 to 1937. They were loaned by Jean Baldwin who worked at the museum teaching marionette classes in 1942. They used these puppets in plays that featured Chinese, Greek and Egyptian stories. Hazelle Rollins had a marionette factory in Kansas City and began teaching marionette classes in the area in 1934. Today's museum is named after Hazelle Rollins in honor of achievements she made in puppetry.

Some of the featured performances that have been held at the Institute include: The Magic Doll which lets visitors imaginations emerge. There are six generations of doll owners that visitors travel with on land, sea and air. The puppets that are in this show are dragons, fairies, pirates, dancing flowers and sea monsters. Cost of performances is five dollars and it includes a visit to the museum and a finger puppet for each child.

The Lewis and Clark Puppet Show is a forty five minute presentation that has Lewis and Clark puppets as well as Seaman, York, Sacagawea and a French Trapper. This show also uses hand and shadow puppets. This type of show is best suited for five years old and up. There have been tributes to President Harry S. Truman at the Institute especially on his birthday, May 9th. The show tells of his life as a child and beyond and includes photos of Mr. Truman and his family.

One of the best things to do at the Puppetry Arts Institute is take a puppetry class. There are classes that let five year olds and up make a Hazelle hand puppet. The children get to choose from forty different vinyl heads that they may paint. Once this is done they will receive a body for their puppet. The cost of this puppet class is five dollars. A class for older children allows them to make a Hazelle Clown Marionette. This class lasts about four hours and costs twenty five dollars. Rod puppets are also available to make in another class for older children. There are talks and demonstrations, children's birthday parties that can be held at the Institute and Teacher Workshops.

Hotels in the area include: Hilton Garden, Woodstock Inn Bed and Breakfast, Fairfield Inn, Best Western Truman Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Super 8, Crossland Economy Studios, Comfort Suites, and Residence Inn.