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One of Central Park’s most distinctive and beloved buildings is about to undergo its most significant transformation in nearly three decades.
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The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, a storybook structure tucked into the west side of Central Park near West 79th Street, is set to receive a $10.4 million exterior and interior renovation, according to City Parks Foundation, which jointly operates the theater with the NYC Parks Department. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Friday in partnership with the Historic House Trust of NYC.The project — the first major renovation since 1997 — will include restoration of the building’s historic exterior and interior features, modernization of theatrical and technical infrastructure, mechanical upgrades, accessibility improvements, and sustainability enhancements.
The theater has a history that stretches back to 1876, when the structure was built in Sweden from native pine and cedar for use as Sweden’s pavilion at the Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia. Frederick Law Olmsted, the co-designer of Central Park, was so taken with the building that he secured city funding to purchase it. It was reassembled on its current site in 1877.
Over the ensuing decades the cottage served various purposes before becoming a marionette workshop in 1947, and then the performance venue New Yorkers know today in 1973. The 1997 renovation came after more than a century of continuous use.
City Parks Foundation is also launching a private fundraising campaign in conjunction with the project.
The groundbreaking coincides with World Puppetry Day and comes as the theater approaches a milestone: 150 years in Central Park.
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