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Great Arizona Puppet Theater

3.7 (56 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Blake L.

This should also be called a museum. It's full of wonderful puppets & marionettes. The architecture is beautiful & interesting. The staff are a friendly as can be. I tokk my children and they loved going and seeing everything first hand with one lady doing all of the different voices and charming a huge Birthday Party of 5 year olds. It's geared more towards young children, but the experience was well worth it. Their gift shop is full of wonderful gems that are very reasonably priced. Order your tickets on line or head over early. Front row fills up fast. It's all old fashioned and no photos or videos during the show. You can take all of the photos you want before & after. Believe me, there are plenty of ops!

A wall of examples of different kinds of puppets you can make with a few materials.
Elizabeth H.

I had a lovely time with my daughter at this theater. The story of "Dragons, Ladies, and Tigers" captured the imagination of my daughter and her classmates. What I loved about this field trip is that they participated in a backstage tour, where they got to create their own (paper bag) hand puppets, ask questions to one of the puppeteers, and tour the gift shop where was like a little museum. They learned about the different types of puppets from different parts of the world, how puppets are made, and best of all encouragement to use their imagination. Please check it out sometime and support this rare art of puppet theater production.

people of all ages and sorts enjoy puppet shows.
Bree B.

My kids had their birthday party at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater. I don't think I have any negative things to say. It is pretty straight forward: the birthday room has a craft table so that the kids can make their own puppets. This is not exclusive to parties, there is another craft table outside the birthday room. There is also a wall of homemade puppets displayed which makes you realize how creative and crafty kids are. I made a puppet of my black and white cat and although I wish I had a better picture, I think I did good job capturing his resentful, spite-filled eyes. The kids watch the scheduled puppet show (and birthday kids get a moment on stage and a song) - for us, it was Old McDonald and it was very cute and age appropriate. All the kids were laughing and singing along and aside for a crying baby, I think everyone really enjoyed it. The show was short, perhaps 40 minutes from start to finish, and there are options to sit in a seat, or on the floor. There is also a gift shop where you can purchase your own puppet, which are much more sophisticated than my cat, and books and other typical gift store stuff. For birthday parties, the kids assemble back to the birthday room for food and cake. You have to bring your own but they have a fridge and freezer to keep everything cold. There is also a wagon that you can use to transport your food to and from the car, which was a nice and thoughtful touch. The birthday room is small so it's probably not the best idea for huge birthday parties.

This is a view of the rear of the theater.  Check out that pocket door!
Tim C.

http://www.azpuppets.org/ Adult Puppet Slam = My favorite thing to do in Phoenix. "Quirky, edgy puppet shows by Arizona's leading quirky, edgy puppeteers." I've been to the last three Adult Puppet Slams, and they just keep getting better and better. The writing is intelligent, and the puppetry is as creative as puppetry can get. Personally, I'm not a big fan of stand-up comedy, especially of the 'dirty just for the sake of being dirty' variety, and these Adult Puppet Slams are right up my alley. Before my first visit, I expected rude and crude humor (since the shows are 21 and over) and I couldn't have have been more surprised. The shows are 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' quality, and the theater itself - an old Mormon church - is worthy of a visit just for its architectural wonderfulness. They serve cheap drinks, the shows are full-feature length, and the lobby doubles as the country's premier puppet museum. Two notes: A) The shows are growing in popularity. Buy your tickets in advance. B) The Adult Puppet Slams seem to pop up unexpectedly on the theater's schedule. Visit their website monthly, or else you'll miss the show announcement.

lovely sunset last night at the puppet theater... such a cool building!
Brian N.

I enjoyed everything about my evening here. It was the Adult Puppet Slam - and have nothing but great things to say about the level of talent and artistry it takes to successfully pull off a naughty puppet show. This was my first one, but it seems as if they have a core of artists - but welcome other puppeteers to showcase their talent. Scott Gesser performed a few songs, and his musical humor is always welcome regardless of the venue. This particular audience had a couple of hecklers, and it's always nice to see how different artists handle that. Aside from the show itself, the venue is spectacular. If you go, find an employee (look for Franc) and ask for a quick tour either before the show or during intermission. The history is amazing and the architecture and woodwork are beautiful. They offer adult beverages too - which is especially nice whenever you're bombarded with dick jokes. For those that are feeling froggy, you can actually make your own sock puppet which I thought was a nice touch. My only negative, is that the chairs are extremely uncomfortable. If your booty is sensitive to this kind of thing, maybe bring a stadium seat or blanket. Other than that, it's a great time & well worth the price of admission!

Paula E.

Really cute museum! And great puppet show for the kids, I am sure. The adult puppet slam wasn't as great as we had hoped it would be, but still a nice evening out. This Was a Mormon church so there is a lot of history here, worth checking out!

Puppets in display

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The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix - Tea house

The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix

4.0(487 reviews)
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The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix - Bike Rack at the garden entrance

Bike Rack at the garden entrance

The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix - This drink wasn't my favorite but it quenched me thirst

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4.6(20 reviews)
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Absolutely gorgeous space that feels surprisingly tranquil in the middle of Phoenix. Love seeing a…read morecastle inside our modern city. Ample parking (free!) and a beautiful garden next to it, too, if you want a little stroll after visiting. You'll be greeted by Irish music outside, which is always nice. Lots to learn about Irish culture, and a huge genealogy section. There are guided tours if you want an expansive account of the place. I personally just grabbed a pamphlet for a self-guided exploration at the entrance of the library and enjoyed it very much.

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Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library
Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library
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Arcosanti

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3.4(152 reviews)
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I'm not sure why the Yelp page states Arcosanti is closed. We were just there and is open and…read moreoperating. Clearly what the original architect had in mind many years ago never came to fruition as it really hasn't changed in years. Is appears to be a small artist community but we didn't see anything going on at the moment so couldn't tell if it id still active or they make everything south in Scottsdale at Cosanti. There is a gift shop where you can watch a brief video on the history and learn about their wind chime creations. Personally I've received many of the wind chimes over the last 20 years for housewarmings or Christmas gifts. Each is unique. The greeter in the gift shop was friendly and stated there is a tour available as well. We didn't have time for the tour but purchased a couple of small gifts. He suggested visiting the Scottsdale location as well which is called Cosanti. I had no idea it was located in Scott's well. Will check it out.

70s vision for communal living by architect Paolo Soleri, this is on the way from Phoenix to Sedona…read moreand worth a stop if you are into architecture and ecology, you'll see Soleri's unique "arcology" vision here which is a fusion of both. We signed up for the tour and yes the dirt road is rough leading to Arcosanti, our tour guide mentioned a future expansion in the living area but in order to keep building the road has to be paved, hopefully it's better in the future. The behind the scenes tour participants was twice as large as they normally have so at times it was hard to see and hear though our guide tried their best. We loved hearing about the different spaces and seeing what was hand made by volunteers though we enjoyed the more intimate feel of Cosanti more. The gift shop is one staircase above the cafe and it's where the tour meets. There is better bell selection at Cosanti If that's what you are shopping for but Arcosanti has more hand-made knick knacks by residents, there is also a nice selection of books about Soleri and Arcosanti. You can stay the night here and get a good view of the stars and a more intimate experience, we would do this next time. The architecture and vibe would make it worth it!

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Arcosanti - From www.kunzelmedia.com

From www.kunzelmedia.com

Arcosanti
Arcosanti - Entrance from the dirt road

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George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center

George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center

4.0(4 reviews)
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George Washington Carver was my boyhood hero and this museum is a great place to bring the kids. I…read moreplan to become an annual member to help support their work. Dr. Carver was born a slave and orphaned during the Civil War. Carver was the name of the man who owned him. He went on to get an earned Master's in biology as well as honorary doctorates and was a professor and Head of the Agriculture Dept. At the Tuskegee Institute for 40 years You may know him as the Peanut Man.

Oh, the potential!…read more The George Washington Carver High School is now a museum and cultural center (almost). The school originally opened in 1926 as a segregated school called the Phoenix Union Colored High School. After Carver died in 1943 the name was changed to honor him. The school remained open until Arizona desegregated in 1953 (it closed in 1954). Before you enter you are greeted by a statue of Carver that was added in 2004. Carver is best known for his innovations in farming. He developed the crop rotation method of planting soil depleting crops one season and soil enriching crops the next. He also developed over 300 uses for peanuts (a soil enriching crop). His ideas helped save the southern farming industry. He also found ways to make dyes from different crops. He gave most of his ideas away instead of profiting from them based on his belief that God was giving him the ideas to pass along. It's a challenge to visit the museum. The website says that the hours are M-F from 10-3. We called Thursday and there was a message indicating that they were closed for the day. We arrived at 10:15am today and the sign in the door stated they were closed. We took some pictures outside and were on our way back to the car when a man asked if we wanted to see inside. (It is a negative that it is hard to visit; however, it appears that it is mostly run on a volunteer basis with little funding, so it is to be expected...but it is still unfortunate.) The curator, Princess, greeted us and gave us a private tour. She was extremely informative giving us information about each exhibit and stories that have been shared with her. The stories come from the teachers and students who were actually at the school from 1926-1953. The museum has a lot of potential, but needs a lot of work. Most of the exhibits are not in cases yet and out in the open...which makes me cringe after being to so many museums that focus on preservation techniques. The displays include pictures of the students, a history of life in the area (including a kitchen and bedroom area from the 1940s). They have a display of all of the Phoenix area schools that were named for African American leaders. In the center of the buildings is the Sculpture Garden which has the"That Which Might Have Been Birmingham 1963" sculptures. The four statutes are a memorial to the four girls killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The pant on the walls around the garden is unique as well. It sort of looks smoky as part of an homage to the bombing as well. There are a few other exhibits inside as well; one for area churches, for a student who was an inventor, for the accolades of the sport teams who played for Carver. It is definitely a work in progress. The gym floor is torn up because it was not in the condition to remain. They will be replacing it and at some point (2010 or beyond) have the facilities open to rent. It seems like it will take a lot of money to have it restored...but will be wonderful to see once it happens.

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George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center
George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center - George Washington Carver's Statue

George Washington Carver's Statue

George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center - June 27, 2008

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June 27, 2008

Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve - One of the closest petroglyphs

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It was interesting but many of the petroglyphs were high in the rocks. It made seeing them…read moredifficult. I guess the best part for us was the building. There we could get some information about the peoples that drew them. In my opinion, a better place to see petroglyphs more closely would be at White Tank Regional Park.

Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve In the Phoenix, Sun City area…read more Open 8 to 2 Wednesday through Saturday. There is a small entry fee but I don't mind helping to support the University's work I think it's $5 for seniors. Of course covid has changed everything so you need to check in on the Is hours with the website. There It's very accessible although it's not really a paved ADA wheelchair accessibility A beach wheelchair might do fine if someone was helping to push. It's a gravel trail so seniors that are mobile should have no problem. Families with children should have no problem. It's a little more than a quarter mile down the trail. They seem to be relying on the audio tour inside and outside though I believe it's posted on spotify. It actually makes me a little sad that they're not relying on volunteers or students as much anymore. It seems to be a trend and it's probably related to covid possibly, to modern Digital Culture rather than human interaction culture that I and my generation come from. I'm also sure like everyone else in the service industry it's urban industry they're finding it hard to get volunteers and employees. It reminds me of the self service lines in grocery stores and retail now, It's all about speed and efficiency rather than service. There was an archeological student from the University of Arizona, who was doing some kind of trail sweep who I naturally engaged in a conversation with, she had a wealth of information about the site and she enjoyed talking about it as well as some of the frustrations of trespasser's and worrying about artifact theft and vandalism. There was no one else around so we talked for 45 minutes. When I asked her about her future in archeology she felt that it was probably going to be in museum work cause that was the only place that you could possibly get a salary if you weren't teaching. I always enjoy listening and learning from bright young people about their passions. The rock art was produced by Archaic (before 150 CE,) Hohokam (1 - 1450 CE,) and Patayan (ca. 900-800 CE) cultures. It focuses on the rock art found a short way from the building on an outcropping of basalt boulders found along a quarter mile trail facing southeast. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to ask the student about differentiating from the different the different time periods of rockheart and asking her to show me some examples. I really recommend a visit especially for families and seniors of a certain age or for initial cultural markings experience. It's will also help you get oriented to the indigenous culture of the Phoenix area. The museum and interpretive centre discusses the site and its petroglyphs as well as tools and pottery associated with the site and Hohokam culture. Archaeology of the site includes features aside from the rock art which are described in the museum, but are not accessible to visitors. These include the remains of a pit house with middens and cooking areas, and the foundations of two masonry rooms top the outcropping where the majority of petroglyphs were found. It's heartening to see that this site helped to preserve an acreage of desert from encroaching development, the fragility of such sites will only increase with with increased tourism, and they do there best to manage it. A small number of rock art pieces were actually moved to their current location when the nearby dam was built. (All moved pieces are so identified.) The preserve is the result of a partnership by a number of organizations, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Maricopa Flood Control District and Arizona State University. The site is protected and operated by Arizona State University.

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Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve
Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve - Chuckwalla

Chuckwalla

Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve - Chuckwalla

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Chuckwalla

Great Arizona Puppet Theater - theater - Updated May 2026

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