The Jim Henson exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum, “Imagination Unlimited,” is fun for everyone! Who doesn’t know the Muppets or Sesame Street? You grew up with them, or your children or grandchildren did. Our daughter had fun learning numbers, colors, and many other things with Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch. We watched the Muppet Show every week. Our favorite version of Charles Dickens’ classic story is still “The Muppets Christmas Carol.” The exhibit runs through April 20, 2020–you won’t want to miss this one!
Jim Henson exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum–his childhood and early career
Did you know that Jim Henson won an Emmy at age 22? He was quite an artist as a child and created a comic strip for his high school newspaper. He started making puppets and had a 5-minute show, Sam and Friends, on a local television station. It was the Best Local Entertainment Program in 1958. He married Jane Nebel, also an artist. The show caught the attention of the right person. They met and collaborated with Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett to create Sesame Street. In the exhibit you can see some of Henson’s sketch books, early drawings, scripts, his vintage puppets like 1970’s Bert and Ernie, film clips, and much more. Jim Henson’s puppets were very popular in TV commercials. There were hundreds of them for everything from coffee to lunch meat.
The Muppets and Sesame Street
This colorful exhibit is filled with Muppets, film posters, and props from the shows. There are also books and toys created as merchandise. Many talented artists, musicians and performers worked with Henson in the creation of his beloved characters. Remember all of the famous people who were guests on The Muppet Show? Jim Nabors, Paul Williams, Harvey Korman, Candace Bergen, Vincent Price, and Connie Stevens were just a few in the early years.
make your own “any muppet”
What about all of those “extras,” the Muppets in big crowd scenes backing up Miss Piggy and Kermit? They took a basic Muppet body, added facial features, hats, accessories, or hair to create additional characters. You can also create an “Any Muppet” by choosing from all of the parts in a display and attaching them with Velcro!
technology advances for muppets and other ventures
As time went on and the Muppets and filming got more complex, Henson and his creative team developed robotics and other technology to make the Muppets move, laugh, have facial expressions, sing and dance. Didn’t you wonder in The Muppet Movie how Kermit and Miss Piggy were able to ride bicycles through the park?
the Bottger Mansion of Old Town Bed & Breakfast is just a short walk from the Albuquerque Museum
Albuquerque has so many attractions and activities waiting for you, so don’t wait to start planning your getaway to New Mexico! Make your stay in this wonderful city even more memorable by treating yourself to a stay in some comfortable and convenient accommodations. The Bottger Mansion of Old Town is a historic bed and breakfast in Albuquerque offering lovely rooms, outstanding amenities, and friendly hospitality. Explore the many attractions of Albuquerque or simply relax in the peace and quiet of our cozy inn. Our beautiful oasis in New Mexico is waiting for you, so check our availability and book your stay today!
To learn more about the many things to do in Albuquerque, such as exploring more museums like the Albuquerque Museum, request our free Vacation Guide!
