This whimsical museum houses over 3500 marionettes, puppets, glove puppets and shadow figures from Palermo, Catania and Naples, as well as from further-flung places such as Japan, Southeast Asia, Africa, China and India. Occasional puppet shows (adult/child €10/5) are staged on the museum's top floor in a beautifully decorated traditional theatre complete with hand-cranked music machine.
Established by the Association for the Conservation of Folk Traditions of Palermo, the museum takes puppeteering seriously, researching the art form, providing informative labelling alongside museum exhibits and hosting the annual Festa di Morgana (www.festivaldimorgana.com), when puppeteers from all over the world converge on the museum for lectures and performances.
