Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry

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Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry (BIMP) is part of the School of Fine Arts at UConn.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is one of America’s hidden treasures—a superb collection of over 2,500 puppets from all over the world; an archive of books, manuscripts, posters, drawings, audio-visual materials and photographs all covering the history of puppetry. It is also the new home of the Puppeteers of America’s Audio-Visual Collection: the largest collection of videotapes, films, and other media about puppetry in the United States. The Ballard Institute curates and produces exhibitions of puppetry, both at the Ballard Museum and for touring across the United States. The Institute also offers workshops, museum tours, artists’ forums, film showings, performances, and other events and programs that promote the art of puppetry as a twenty-first-century art form with deep historic and global roots.

We are just a few days away from the kickoff of our 2026 Fall Puppet Show Series! Join UConn Puppet Arts Program alumna ...
10/13/2026

We are just a few days away from the kickoff of our 2026 Fall Puppet Show Series! Join UConn Puppet Arts Program alumna Carole D'Agostino for The Tiny Bird Show on 10/17 at 11 a.m. 🐦

Reserve your tickets in advance: https://events.ticketleap.com/events/bimp-0

Don’t miss your last chance to see Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century on display at the Ballard Ins...
10/11/2026

Don’t miss your last chance to see Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century on display at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry! This exhibit explores contemporary puppetry movements and their remarkable influence on modern puppetry. Be sure to visit the Ballard Institute in Downtown Storrs before this exhibit closes on 10/18!

Photos by Mark Trubitsyn

Reminder! Carole D’Agostino’s performance of The Tiny Bird Show will take place in ONE WEEK on October 17th at 11am! Aud...
10/10/2026

Reminder! Carole D’Agostino’s performance of The Tiny Bird Show will take place in ONE WEEK on October 17th at 11am! Audiences will see 15 types of animal species during this incredible toy theater show. Don’t miss your chance to learn bird calls and look for a mystery bird! 🐦🦉🦆

For all ages! Reserve your tickets now: s.uconn.edu/bimp-ticketleap

⭐Artist Spotlight! ⭐ UConn Puppet Arts alumna Carole D’Agostino is a talented performer, puppet builder, and presenter! ...
10/09/2026

⭐Artist Spotlight! ⭐

UConn Puppet Arts alumna Carole D’Agostino is a talented performer, puppet builder, and presenter! She has built and designed puppets for the Center for Puppetry Arts, Jim Henson Creature Shop NYC, the Kennedy Center, Disney, and Sesame Place theme parks.


We are excited to welcome Carole back to UConn to perform her new show, The Tiny Bird Show, on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 11am.



Reserve your tickets today! s.uconn.edu/bimp-ticketleap

🎞️Announcement!🎬The Ballard Institute is excited to announce its latest forum, Making Wildwood: The Craft of Stop-Motion...
10/08/2026

🎞️Announcement!🎬

The Ballard Institute is excited to announce its latest forum, Making Wildwood: The Craft of Stop-Motion Puppetry! As part of the 2026 Fall Puppet Forum Series, this event be hosted on Wednesday, October 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Ballard Institute Theater. Join us on 10/28 at 6:30 p.m. as guest moderator Professor Allison Paul and Puppet Arts alum Maggie Flanagan discuss behind-the-scenes insights into the making of LAIKA’s new stop-motion film, Wildwood.

This event is generously sponsored by The Straighter Fund, UConn Art and Art History, and UConn Digital Media and Design.

Admission to this forum is free, and refreshments will be served.

🐦Announcement!🦉 We kick off our Fall Puppet Shows on 10/17 at 11am with The Tiny Bird Show by Carole D’Agostino on Octob...
10/07/2026

🐦Announcement!🦉

We kick off our Fall Puppet Shows on 10/17 at 11am with The Tiny Bird Show by Carole D’Agostino on October 17th at 11am! In this interactive show, tiny rod puppet animals introduce audience members to over 15 animal species and bird sounds!

For all ages! Reserve your tickets here s.uconn.edu/bimp-ticketleap.

Check out these pictures of just some of the objects on display in “Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Cent...
10/07/2026

Check out these pictures of just some of the objects on display in “Becoming Modern: U.S. Puppetry in the Twentieth Century,” on display now at the Ballard Institute! If you haven’t had the chance to see this exhibit in person, be sure to stop by before it closes on 10/18.

Photos by Mark Trubitsyn

We are so excited to be Night Fall in Elizabeth Park! Stop by the Ballard Institute booth before 6pm and then stick arou...
10/03/2026

We are so excited to be Night Fall in Elizabeth Park! Stop by the Ballard Institute booth before 6pm and then stick around for the show! 🌙

🌙Night Fall this Saturday!🌙Night Fall is an annual event held in parks across Hartford to foster community and appreciat...
10/01/2026

🌙Night Fall this Saturday!🌙

Night Fall is an annual event held in parks across Hartford to foster community and appreciation for the arts.

This year Night Fall will take place on Saturday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. in beautiful Elizabeth Park (Hartford Side). Before the show, check out the Well & Wild: An Art & Wellness Pre-Show Festival starting at 1 p.m. The Ballard Institute and UConn Puppet Arts will be showcasing puppets from our recent Celebrate Mansfield Festival Workshops at Night Fall starting at 3 p.m., so stop by our table to say hi and try out a puppet!

✨New exhibit! ✨The Ballard Institute just installed a new exhibit, The Kinetic Life of the Puppet: Photography of Richar...
09/30/2026

✨New exhibit! ✨

The Ballard Institute just installed a new exhibit, The Kinetic Life of the Puppet: Photography of Richard Termine, in the Mansfield Library Express in Downtown Storrs! Puppetry is a language of motion, and Termine’s striking photographs capture dynamic movement and energy in a still image.

Next time you visit the Mansfield Library Express, check out these incredible photographs and learn about the renowned photographer and UConn Puppet Arts alumnus Richard Termine!

Address

1 Royce Cir, Ste 101B
Storrs, CT
06268

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 7pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 7pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+18604868580

Website

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