In a gesture that bridges Hollywood nostalgia with Atlanta’s puppetry legacy, the family of Jim Henson has gifted a towering 12-foot statue of Kermit the Frog — dressed as Charlie Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” — to the Center for Puppetry Arts in Midtown Atlanta. This iconic piece, which stood for a quarter-century at the gates of The Jim Henson Company’s former Hollywood studio, will now greet visitors in a city proud of its own puppetry heritage.
By Allan R. Ellenberger for The Hollywoodland Revue
This is how the entrance to the studio looked for 25 years.
Sadly, the entrance looks naked now. Photo taken 12/4/2025.
Since the statue’s installation in Hollywood in 2000 — a whimsical salute to the studio’s history on the site once occupied by Chaplin’s studios — the frog in bowler hat and cane became a beloved landmark for fans, passers-by, and generations of dreamers drawn to the legacy of Henson’s imaginative world.
The donation follows the sale of the Henson family’s La Brea-Avenue studio lot, and the relocation of the company’s headquarters to the Radford Studio Center in Studio City. With the studio’s gates preparing to close behind the company’s move, the Hensons opted to place the statue where it could continue to inspire — and where the wider public could still enjoy it.
For the Center for Puppetry Arts, the gift is more than a statue; it’s a homecoming of sorts. Founded in 1978, the Center has long served as the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated solely to the art of puppetry. It houses the world’s largest collection of Henson artifacts — Muppets, props, sketches, and memorabilia — making it a fitting new home for Kermit’s second life.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Henson family … an iconic piece of Hollywood history will continue to delight fans from around the world,” said Beth Schiavo, Executive Director of the Center. With its new guardians, the statue will remain both a tribute to Henson’s imaginative spirit and a joyful symbol of creativity, humor, and storytelling.
Despite the excitement, no firm date has yet been announced for when Kermit will physically arrive in Atlanta or be placed on public display. The logistics of transporting a bronze sculpture of this size — and ensuring it endures as a public monument — remain under careful consideration, according to The Jim Henson Company.
Still, for many fans of the Muppets, puppetry, and Hollywood history, the announcement has already turned into a cause for celebration. A figure that once waved from the gates of a Los Angeles studio will soon command a permanent place in a museum dedicated to preserving the art of puppetry for new generations.
Kermit’s cross-country leap may mark the end of an era in Hollywood — but in Atlanta, it will begin a new one.
What do you think about Kermit Chaplin being taken down after 25 years. Please share your comments below:
Add comment
Comments