Musée international de la marionnette - Peruchet

About the museum

The Théâtre Royal du Peruchet was founded in 1929 by Carlo Speder. In 1938, housed in a house on the chaussée de Charleroi, it opened the first puppet museum in Belgium. After several moves, the company settled in 1968 in a small white farm in Ixelles, in the Boondael district, where it remains.

The collections, kept in crates for fifteen years, were displayed again in 1983 in a museum set up by the Jageneau family, who then ran the theatre. They were later enriched with pieces from China, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Burma and Indonesia, and now number nearly 4,000 puppets. The theatre received the title “Royal” in 1993.

The museum presents the three great families of puppets (glove, rod and string), shadow figures from Turkey, China, Java, Bali and India, and the characters created for the theatre’s first productions, including those of The Thousand and One Nights. A shadow puppet of the monkey god Hanuman is among the 100 masterpieces of the Brussels museum collections. Two techniques for manipulating string puppets were developed in this house.

Highlights

• Nearly 4,000 puppets from around the world
• Shadow figures from Turkey, China, Java, Bali and India
• Puppets from the founder’s first production (The Thousand and One Nights, 1929)
• Shadow puppet of Hanuman, one of the 100 masterpieces of the Brussels museum collections
• Visit before the performance, at the interval or after the show

Permanent exhibition

• Collection internationale de marionnettes – Nearly 4,000 glove, rod and string puppets, as well as shadow figures from Turkey, China, Java, Bali and India, including the figures from the theatre’s first production.

Founded

1938

Operated by

Théâtre Royal du Peruchet asbl

Admission & discounts

There is no separate admission ticket for the museum: access is included in the performance ticket (€12 for a child, €14 for an adult). Payment on site in cash, by bank card or with Payconiq.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 4+

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

The museum is designed for families: children can discover it before the show, at the interval or after the performance, and understand how string puppets work. Performances are recommended from age 4. Birthdays and school visits are possible on request.

Getting there & parking

The theatre is in a former farm in the Boondael district, in Ixelles.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit