Deep in a warehouse in Queens, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is giving fans a new way to see how some of the creator’s most recognizable puppets come to life. The company has begun offering public tours of its workshop, a window into the crafts that have historically been done out of sight.
The tours, which run on Saturdays, last about 80 minutes and cost $150 per person, according to the shop. During the visit, visitors are able to meet a puppet builder, watch a puppetry demonstration, and take photographs and videos with familiar and iconic characters.
Company leaders described the tours as a celebration of the people who build the work rather than a novelty experience. Jason Weber, the shop’s creative supervisor, said the tours are “an opportunity to celebrate the unsung craftspeople that bring these famous characters to life.” During a recent visit, he added, “There is a level of expertise here that we’re sharing. It’s not just going to a pop-up store or something like that,” and said, “Things are made one-of-a-kind, made by hand with artisans who have been trained for years and decades.”
The shop’s New York experience starts in a large room created specifically for visitors. That tour room is described as being filled with real show props and creations, and it is also the only part of the tour where visitors are allowed to take photos and videos. Organizers say much of what visitors would see in the actual workshop remains works in progress or proprietary.
Among the featured displays in the first room are an Oscar the Grouch setup with the “Sesame Street” character in his familiar trash can amid heaps of fake garbage. The tour also includes a menacing black throne from “The Dark Crystal,” as well as a full-sized working puppet of Junior Gorg from “Fraggle Rock,” which requires multiple performers to operate.
The workshop itself is set up as a working space, filled with creatures in different stages of assembly and storage areas stocked with materials. The shop describes drawers and bins throughout the facility holding colorful furs, textured fabrics, and ready-made puppet body parts, clothing, and accessories. Melissa Creighton, the shop’s director, said, “Everything we do is custom. Everything we do is bespoke,” and staff members said they are busy preparing costumes and other pieces for current productions, including a “Fraggle Rock” musical opening later this month near Times Square.
The Creature Shop traces its origins to Jim Henson’s creative work: besides the Muppets, he also built the creative force behind Big Bird and Cookie Monster for “Sesame Street” and behind characters for “Fraggle Rock.” Henson died in 1990. The shop said it originally opened in Manhattan in the 1960s, later relocating multiple times before settling at its current Queens location in 2009. The company also has a workshop in Los Angeles, though it does not offer tours there.
Ownership and rights for Henson’s properties have also changed over time. The shop said “The Muppets” are now owned by Disney, while Sesame owns the rights to Big Bird and other characters Henson created for “Sesame Street,” which films at a nearby studio.
Among the tour’s human elements are senior puppet builders like Sierra Schoening, who described working at the shop as a lifelong aspiration. Schoening said in a break from crafting new pieces that the job had been her “pie-in-the sky” dream job, and she said she had wanted “to know how those illusions were made.” She added, “I know all the secret sauce, and I’m making the secret sauce now.”
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has also been involved in productions across film and television, including the horror movie “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” the children’s fantasy film “Where the Wild Things Are,” and the 1990s television sitcom “Dinosaurs.” With tours now available in Queens, the company is positioning the workshop itself as an attraction—while keeping the working process, and some of its details, behind the scenes.