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The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater  is celebrating 78 years! It was established as a puppet theater in 1947.  We are located in Balboa Park, San Diego, California.

The Puppet Theater, originally called the Hollywood Building, then the Palisades Building, was one of the buildings constructed for the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935-36. The Exposition was organized to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. The theater still runs weekly live performances for thousands of guests each year with various forms of puppetry, and showcases performers from all over.

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Holidays are here!

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Zhuri's Pet Project 

 November 28-30

The Magic Jacket Kids are bark - oops, we mean, back! 6-year old Zhuri loves animals, but can she convince her Dad that she's ready for her first pet?

Join Zhuri, Elijah, and Leo for a fun-filled multimedia children's puppet show as they try to find the perfect "fur-ever" friend. This first-run production features original songs, new life-size puppets, and plenty of laughs for animal-loving kids and parents alike. 

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December Nights

Friday and Saturday, December 5-6

5pm, 7:30pm and 9:15 pm

Tiny Tim 

A Christmas Carol Story

Tim has always looks on the positive side of things, and this Christmas is no different. 

Will his wish come true?

 

 

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Miracle Youth Productions and San Diego's Balboa Park Puppet Guild 

Present

Gifts of the Season

December 12-13 7pm

December 14 3pm

Gifts of the Season is a warm, uplifting collection of three original stories that explore the true spirit of the holidays. Written and directed by Matiyana and brought to life by the young creators of Miracle Youth Productions, the show blends humor, heart, and hope as it follows characters who discover that the real gifts of the season aren’t wrapped—they’re found in compassion, connection, and the courage to love.

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Special Encore!

Tiny Tim 

A Christmas Carol Story

Saturday and Sunday ONLY

December 20-21

Tim has always looks on the positive side of things no matter how bad it gets, and this Christmas is no different. 

Will his wish come true? 

 

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Steve Taylor's "Magical Marionettes" 

December 26, 2PM ONLY!

December 27-28 11AM & 2PM ONLY!

   Marie Hitchcock's apprentice Steve Taylor returns to The Marie Hitchcock Balboa Park Puppet Theater for a fourth straight year
of holiday hilarity and hijinks. His family-friendly comedy "Magical Marionettes Variety Show" celebrates the holidays from Friday
December 26 through Sunday December 28, 2025 with shows on Friday December 26 at 2pm (only) and at 11am and 2pm on Saturday and
Sunday the 27th and 28th.

   Audiences will once again be enchanted by the antics of "Charlie and his precocious puppy Daisy," "Ellie The Water-Squirting
Baby Elephant," "Kiddie Kong & his Rollicking Rock & Roll Guitar," "Bones The Singing Skeleton & his Back-Up Singers The
Craniums," "Skittles The Jovial Juggling and Unicycling Clown," and "Carmello The Cowardly Stunt Camel." Additionally, "Snafu
The Snazzy Snake Charmer, a new marionette creation, will make his world premiere at the performances. Plus, audience favorite
ventriloquist dummy Rudy O'Riley will be back to make a "magical" appearance.

   "Experiencing the art of live puppetry should be a treasured and magical part of every child's life," believes Taylor. "But the
opportunities to actually see live marionettes performed are getting fewer and fewer. San Diego is blessed to have a venue
like the Marie Hitchcock Balboa Park Puppet Theater, where all ages can still wonderfully be entertained by live puppetry on a
weekly basis." He continued, "Additionally, since live marionette shows are so rare, every parent should ensure their child
experiences the enchantment of stringed puppetry at least once in their lifetime."

   Magical Ventriloquist Steve Taylor has been delighting and enchanting audiences for over 55 years nationwide and has been a
featured performer at Disneyland, on Comedy Central, on America's Got Talent, and at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. His
"Magical Marionettes" feature the same clever and comical shenanigans that his audiences have come to love from his comedy
magic and ventriloquism.

   Tickets for this captivating comedy cavalcade December 26 to 28 are $10/per person, ($7 for military and seniors, plus discounts
for large groups) and are available at the door or in advance at the theater's website, BalboaParkPuppets.com.
Appropriate for ages 3 to 103. Each performance will last approximately 40 minutes. Box office and doors open 15 minutes prior to each performance.

 Looking for a Gift of Puppetry? Buy a Gift Ticket! Gift Tickets are for our General Admission or Senior/Military Admission! Ticket is good for our regular shows! Special Events and Adult Events are not included!

$5 General Admission, $4 Senior Military


Gift Certificates are also available at our Box Office!


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Workshops!

Want to know the difference between Hand, Marionette, Shadow and Full Body Puppetry?
Want to learn how to write a story?
Want to get away from the crazy world and do something creative?
Bring out the wild and crazy?

Then our workshops are for you!

San Diego’s Balboa Park Puppet Guild
is going to offer beginning workshops in
Puppetry in 2024!
If you are interested, please email us at

balboaparkpuppets@yahoo.com

for more information!

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