Los Angeles is a city not known for its preservation successes. In the past, beloved landmarks like the original Brown Derby, the Pan-Pacific Auditorium, and countless pieces of early Hollywood history have been demolished. Although many of those places are now luxury apartments or parking lots, one gem of a theater has been saved time and again by the community: the colorful and fun Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

The story begins with Bob Baker himself, a puppeteer and artist who spent decades turning handmade fantasy into a full-time career. Baker’s start in puppetry began after seeing a puppet show in 1930. His first “theater” was called the “Petit Theatre” and was in the backyard of his childhood home on New Hampshire Avenue. As a kid, he performed these acts, once performing for Hollywood director Mervyn Leroy.

Already a professional puppeteer by high school, for college he enrolled at art school. It was there that he partnered with scenographer Alton Wood to create what would eventually become the Bob Baker Marionette Theater in 1963. Working with the art of puppetry, where a childlike sense of wonder seems to always be part of the performances, his productions also mixed elements of vaudeville, ballet, satire, and carnival aesthetics, making the theater a wholly unique place, unlike anywhere else in the world.

From the 1960s until now, it’s estimated that over one million children have seen a performance at the theater. A huge part of the history of Los Angeles puppetry, a thriving community because of its proximity to Hollywood, the theater was named an official Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument in 2009. It’s said that Bob Baker, a prolific puppet maker as well as a puppeteer, created a collection of 2,000 puppets.

In 2014, Bob Baker passed away at the age of 90 and the staff stepped up to continue the theater’s unique legacy. During that time, many feared the institution might disappear entirely, especially as rising rents and redevelopment transformed Los Angeles neighborhoods. Instead, a community emerged to move the theater from its historic home to Highland Park.

Today, visiting the theater (despite the fact that it moved homes in the 2010s) feels like stepping into a piece of history. The puppets themselves seem to be stepping into the mainstream, helping to host live benefits, including a prom-themed party and the massive Bob Baker Day. Earlier this spring, the puppets even debuted at Coachella, attracting an audience of passersby.

The most popular shows at the theater are Bob Baker's Nutcracker, a holiday show that began back in 1969. This inclusive holiday show is a major winter tradition for families. Another show, The Hallowe'en Spooktacular, is great for both kids and parents in the spooky season and features over 100 puppets. One of the newest shows is the Choo Choo Revue, a show that debuted this year and features a train puppet that goes on an adventure.

Now nestled on a walkable Highland Park street, the Bob Baker Marionette Theater feels less like a performance venue and more like a secret passage into old Los Angeles. Hand-painted sets and colorful costumes (for both the humans and the puppets) transform you instantly into a world of imagination. The red carpet, along with the red outfits worn by the staff, creates a backdrop of wonder. The puppets each seem to have their own personalities. Some characters are funny while others are serious. Some are sarcastic while some are earnest. All of them are emotive and (when you’re fully immersed in the experience), seemingly magical.

With its creaky wooden floors and parade of dancing puppets, the place has become one of the city’s strangest and most beloved institutions. An organist plays live during and before the performances to get you in a dreamy mood. After each performance, the puppeteers and staff invite audience members to complimentary ice cream, which is eaten in the colorful lounge. A gift shop selling t-shirts also sells whimsical toys and unique objects and is worth the visit alone.

Although the theater has escaped demolition and the threat of closing many times before, nothing is set in stone, especially in a city that has demolished some of the most important landmarks in American history. The theater often raises money in order to secure its future. Currently the Bob Baker Marionette Theater is in the process of purchasing the Highland Park theater where it now lives. Rising rents and changes to the neighborhood threaten the theater’s future. Discussions between the theater directors and the landlord have begun in order to keep the legacy alive for generations to come.

Los Angeles is full of places that claim to preserve the city’s history, but few embody its spirit as vividly as Bob Baker Marionette Theater. It is weird, theatrical, handmade, sentimental, and impossible to fully explain. It also embodies the creative spirit of Los Angeles, a city built on imagination. Considered the longest continuously running puppet theater in America, there’s no better city in the world to serve as the home of this American institution.