Los Angeles, California

Bob Baker Marionette Theater: A Surreal Puppet Wonderland

Los Angeles, California, United States

By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published Fri, Aug 28, 2026

Why it’s cool

This historic Los Angeles landmark houses thousands of handcrafted puppets that perform surreal, interactive shows set to the crackle of vintage phonograph records. Every performance concludes with a nostalgic serving of free ice cream.

West Coast Historic

A stage with red velvet curtains, glowing chandeliers, gold tinsel garlands, and two large puppet figures.

Stepping into this Highland Park venue feels like entering a pocket of old Hollywood where gravity is optional and strings are everywhere. While the exterior might seem modest, the inside is a lush world of red velvet curtains and glittering chandeliers.

Here, thousands of handmade marionettes continue a legacy that began in 1963, proving that analog magic still holds a powerful grip on the imagination.

Why It Stands Out

The theater is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural landmark and one of the oldest puppetry institutions in the country. Bob Baker, the founder, was a master who spent seven decades entertaining audiences and even helped unionize his craft.

His work appeared in iconic productions like Star Trek and A Star is Born. The tactile artistry of the puppets shares a similar spirit with the nearby Screen Novelties animation studio.

Today, students dressed in black operate intricate puppets that dance and fly just inches away from the audience. The experience is famously surreal.

Shows often blend unexpected elements, such as disco numbers in the Nutcracker or science fiction themes during the Halloween season. Everything is set to the warm hiss of vintage phonograph records, creating an atmosphere that many adults describe as psychedelic.

The tradition of serving a small cup of vanilla ice cream after every show has remained unchanged for decades, right down to the wooden spoons.

Before You Go

The theater moved from its original downtown warehouse to a new location on York Boulevard in Highland Park. This neighborhood is also home to the whimsical Chicken Boy statue.

Shows are seasonal and tickets are limited due to the intimate size of the room. Reservations are essential, especially during the popular Halloween Spooktacular.

Check the official schedule for current performance times. Visitors often pair a show with a trip to Galco's Soda Pop Stop nearby.

Questions worth answering

What kind of atmosphere should I expect inside?

The interior is a dense mix of red velvet and chandeliers. It feels like a strange pocket of old Hollywood where puppets move to the sound of vintage records.

Is there a specific time of year that gets crowded?

The Halloween Spooktacular is the busiest period. Shows are seasonal and the room is small, so you should book your spot well in advance.

Do I get anything besides the performance?

Every show ends with a cup of vanilla ice cream. They still use the same wooden spoons they have used for decades.

Where is the theater located now?

The venue left its original warehouse home. You will find it on York Boulevard in the Highland Park neighborhood.

Visit Snapshot

Performances are scheduled seasonally and tickets are limited, so you must make a reservation in advance. The theater is now located in the Highland Park neighborhood on York Blvd.

You can call 213-250-9995 or visit their website for current showtimes.

Location

Los Angeles, California

Know before you go

Showings are limited and seasonal with Halloween being the biggest and most popular. The theatre is fairly small and the tickets are also limited.

Visitors must schedule a reservation prior to performances. Call 213-250-9995 or check website for more show times and information.

Editorial source

Bob Baker Marionette Theater

Bob Baker Marionette Theater, located in downtown Los Angeles, California, was founded by Bob Baker and Alton Wood in 1963. The theater was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural landmark in 2009, and is one of the longest-running puppetry theaters in the United States.

Baker, who died in 2014, was an established puppeteer, and with the help of thousands of handmade marionettes, entertained audiences for over 70 years. Baker was a key activist in establishing union status for puppeteers, and his theater serves as a training ground for many puppet-makers who go on to work in fantasy films.

With a long history of working in Hollywood, Baker's creations have been featured in TV shows such as Star Trek and Bewitched, and films such as Bluebeard, A Star is Born and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The theater was built in 1953 and believed to have been constructed as a studio for the Academy Award-winning special-effects artist M.B.

Paul. It was purchased by Baker and Wood in 1961, where it has remained as a window-less warehouse in a somewhat rundown area of town.

Despite its unassuming white facade, the interior is decorated with red velvet drapes and grand chandeliers. Just as it was 40 years ago, children (and some adults) gather in a circle on the floor of the 200-person shoebox theater, where they sit and watch Baker's creations come to life.

For a little over an hour, puppeteer students, dressed in all black, weave the marionettes around their audience. The puppets, dressed in bright ensembles, fly and dance to the charming soundtrack of old phonograph records, complete with scratches and the warm hiss of analog audio.

When the show ends the children are all given a cup of vanilla ice cream, a tradition that Baker started when the theater first opened. Some parents, who frequented the theater decades ago, have even remarked on how they still use the same wooden spoons.

Though the shows cater to a mostly young audience, many adults have referred to the performances as "psychedelic." The dizzying colors and interactive experience have given the theater a reputation for non-linear, off-beat performances. Indeed, the theater is known to weave disco scenes into the Nutcracker, and incorporates many sci-fi alien themes into his Halloween Spooktacular.

Update October 2018: The theater has recently announced that it will be moving. Update June 2019: The theater is now at its new and wonderful home on York Blvd. in Highland Park.