The Association for the Conservation of Folk Traditions, founded by surgeon and anthropologist Antonio Pasqualino, established the International Puppet Museum in 1975. 

Due to the changing economic and social landscape in Italy in the 1960s, many puppeteers abandoned their careers for something more lucrative. The association opened the museum with the goal of rejuvenating the puppetry scene in Sicily.

The museum houses a wide range of puppets, including the largest and most complete collection of pupi from the Sicilian-based Opera dei Pupi, a  marionette theatrical representation of Frankish romantic poems that dates back to the early 1800s. Other exhibits include puppets from all parts of the globe, including Japan, Thailand, Congo, Java, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and more.

The museum also has frequent puppet shows.