Advance timed-entry tickets are available now.  These tickets are for general admission to the Museum, which includes access to this exhibition.

This dynamic experience explores Jim Henson’s groundbreaking work for film and television and his transformative impact on culture. 

The Jim Henson Exhibition features a broad range of objects from throughout his remarkable career. It reveals how Henson and his team of builders, performers, and writers brought to life the enduringly popular worlds of The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. It also includes material from Henson’s experimental film projects and his early work, presenting him as a restlessly creative performer, filmmaker, and technical innovator.

Among the nearly 300 objects on view are 47 puppets—including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Statler, Waldorf, Big Bird, Elmo, Cantus Fraggle, a Skeksis, and other popular favorites—character sketches, storyboards, scripts, photographs, and costumes. Film and television clips and behind-the-scenes footage are presented on monitors and projections throughout. Interactive experiences allow visitors to try their hand at puppeteering on screen and designing a puppet character.

Many of the objects featured in The Jim Henson Exhibition are drawn from a major donation by Jim Henson’s family to the Museum’s permanent collection. This donation of nearly 500 artifacts includes historic puppets, costumes, production design material, and licensed merchandise.  

The Jim Henson Exhibition is organized by Barbara Miller, Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions. Wendell Walker is the Director of Production and Design. Creative Direction & Exhibition Design by COLLINS | NY & SF.  

The exhibition was organized by Museum of the Moving Image in collaboration with the Henson family, The Jim Henson Legacy, and The Jim Henson Company, and in cooperation with Sesame Workshop and The Muppets Studio. 

Footage of Ernie Kovacs in It's Time for Ernie generously provided by Eidad Productions and Erniekovacs.com.

The Jim Henson Exhibition is made possible by major support from Brian Henson, Cheryl Henson, Heather Henson, Lisa Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and Peter G. Peterson, Bill Prady, Booth Ferris Foundation, The Jane Henson Foundation, George S. Kaufman, Institute of Museum and Library Services, George Lucas Family Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and Herbert S. Schlosser. In addition, a Kickstarter campaign resulted in more than 2,000 individuals helping to fund the exhibition.

Capital funding for construction of the new gallery space to house The Jim Henson Exhibition was provided through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs by The City of New York: Mayor Bill de Blasio; City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito; Queens Borough President Melinda Katz; City Council Majority Leader and Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer; and the Queens Delegation of the City Council. Construction was managed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation.