See Kermit, Oscar the Grouch, more at Worlds of Puppetry Museum in Atlanta
Image 0 of 37
Did you know this green frog's name?
Know who these guys are?
If so, you've got to visit the Center for Puppetry Arts Museum.
It's in Atlanta.
"Whether you are a puppetry aficionado, a puppeteer yourself, or completely new to the topic, the Center for Puppetry Arts Museum strives to help you form a deeper connection to the art form’s broad history and cultural contexts," the company notes on its website.
The museum features the Global Gallery and the Jim Henson Gallery.
"The Global Gallery presents a geographic exploration of the history and traditions of puppetry from different regions across the world. Visitors are invited to find the chains of influence through the art form, and consider how puppetry has been used to communicate messages of reverence, humor, protest, and entertainment across different cultures. Collection highlights run the gamut from puppets built by American artist and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inventor Tony Sarg, to Japanese Bunraku puppets donated by master puppeteer and Living National Treasure Kiritake Kanjuro III."
The Jim Henson Gallery explores the imaginative mind and influential legacy of animator, inventor, filmmaker, screenwriter, and puppeteer Jim Henson. Through the chronological path of his career, visitors will encounter iconic and lesser-known Henson creations, and learn about the backstories behind his productions and innovations in puppetry. This gallery includes puppets, props, and costumes from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and more.
Jim Henson first met Vince Anthony, president and executive director of the Center for Puppetry Arts, in 1974 when Anthony was trying to drum up interest and funds for the center at a Puppeteers of America festival in New Orleans. Four years later, Henson, along with Kermit the Frog, was in Atlanta to cut the ribbon on opening day.
The Center for Puppetry Arts is within the 15,000-square-foot, $14 million Worlds of Puppetry Museum that broke ground in June 2014. It was paid for by individual and corporate donations.
Among a collection of puppets representing Africa in the Global Collection Gallery are prototype masks of the characters Scar and Mufasa from “The Lion King” Broadway musical.
Half of the new exhibit space is dedicated to the work of Jim Henson. The interactive exhibition follows Henson’s prolific imagination chronologically, transporting visitors through environments that typified the master puppeteer’s world such as Jim’s Office and the Television Studio.
One highlight of the Global Collection Gallery is a pair of stop-motion puppets from director Tim Burton’s 2005 film “Corpse Bride.”
Henson died in 1990. In 2007, his family donated more than 500 artifacts from his career to the Center for Puppetry Arts, including puppets and other items from “Sesame Street,” “The Muppet Show,” “Fraggle Rock” and “The Dark Crystal.”
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
The museum features puppets from around the world and the world’s most comprehensive collection of the work of Jim Henson.
The Jim Henson Collection Gallery offers a changing array of more than 75 items chronicling Henson’s career in TV and film, including items from Fraggle Rock.
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
A highlight of the Jim Henson Collection Gallery is a re-creation of an interactive, operational TV studio. There’s also a re-creation of a Henson puppet workshop.
Here are some more photos from the Worlds of Puppetry Museum grand opening at the Center for Puppetry Museum.
Center for Puppetry Arts Here are some more photos from the Center for Puppetry Arts. (Center for Puppetry Arts)
Center for Puppetry Arts Here are some more photos from the Center for Puppetry Arts. (Center for Puppetry Arts)
Center for Puppetry Arts Here are some more photos from the Center for Puppetry Arts. (Center for Puppetry Arts)
Center for Puppetry Arts Here are some more photos from the Center for Puppetry Arts. (Center for Puppetry Arts)
Center for Puppetry Arts Here are some more photos from the Center for Puppetry Arts. (Joe N. Boris/Center for Puppetry Arts)
Center for Puppetry Arts Here are some more photos from the Center for Puppetry Arts. (Joe N. Boris/Center for Puppetry Arts)
