Puppets from five continents are moving into Balboa Park. Mingei International Museum opened Worlds of Puppetry on October 24, 2026, a sweeping new exhibition that gathers hand puppets, shadow figures, rod puppets and marionettes from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania — and it stays on view for nearly a full year, through October 4, 2027.
The heart of the show comes from Mingei’s own permanent collection, which is considered one of the finest puppet collections in the United States. Many of these objects were made to be held, animated and performed, not kept behind glass, and Mingei’s curators lean into that spirit: the galleries celebrate puppetry as a living art that still carries a community’s humor, folklore and storytelling from one generation to the next.
It is also a visit made for families. Plucky tricksters, elegant shadow silhouettes and towering processional figures share the rooms, and the museum pairs the display with a season of themed programming — performances, talks and hands-on activities announced on Mingei’s calendar — that invites children and adults to see how a simple carved figure can hold an entire culture’s imagination.
Mingei International Museum sits inside the House of Charm on the Plaza de Panama in Balboa Park, at 1439 El Prado. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Fridays. General admission is $15, and visitors age 17 and under are always free, which makes Worlds of Puppetry one of the happiest family bargains in San Diego this season.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
