Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater

The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater is a unique cultural gem nestled within Central Park near West 79th Street. Originally constructed in Sweden as a model schoolhouse, the cottage was shipped to the United States for the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where its intricate wood craftsmanship and Scandinavian charm caught the eye of Central Park co-designer Frederick Law Olmsted, who arranged for its relocation to the park in 1877.

Over the decades, the building served a variety of roles—from tool house to entomology lab to Civil Defense headquarters—before becoming the permanent home of New York City’s official marionette theater in 1947. Today, the Swedish Cottage is renowned for its family-friendly productions, performed by master puppeteers who craft original marionettes for each show. The theater continues to delight audiences with classic and contemporary tales, while its CityParks PuppetMobile brings free performances and workshops to neighborhoods across the city.