Leland is “The Birthplace of the Frog” and the childhood home of Jim Henson. Henson lived in Leland as a youngster, but his adult years were spent beyond Mississippi’s borders. He is the genius behind Kermit the Frog and the Muppets. Kermit was named after the to-be-mayor’s son, a childhood friend of Jim Henson.
Kermit was born May 9, 1955, and first appeared on Sam and Friends. Most people know the green muppet/puppet from Sesame Street, but he appeared on several television series. He was the mascot of The Henson Company.
Jim Henson was a child education visionary who used his gift of puppetry to engage, inspire, and educate. His mission was to raise youth consciousness via television, showing adults everywhere how to use teachable moments. Henson was born on September 24, 1936, and died on May 16, 1990.
Today, when you think of Kermit the Frog, you think of Sesame Street in TV land; Jim Henson is no longer with us, but what he once said remains true: “My hope still is to leave the world a bit better than when I got here.” If you’ve ever seen Sesame Street or visited the museum in Leland, you know that Henson has indeed left the world a much better place.
The museum is located on the bank of Deer Creek in the former Chamber of Commerce building, one and a half miles west of where Highways 82 and 61 intersect. The museum sits on the edge of Deer Creek, and you can see the cypress trees and you may even see the ducks that go waddling from the water to the street. It is a beautiful place. There is a bridge that is appropriately named The Rainbow Bridge. The bridge gets its name from Kermit The Frog’s first Muppet movie, in which he sits on the banks of the creek singing “The Rainbow Connection”:
Someday we’ll find it – the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamer, and me.
The diorama is from that scene in the movie of Kermit sitting on the log, singing the song and playing his banjo.
If you research online or search using GPS, you will find discrepancies on whether the street address for Deer Creek Drive is north, south, east, or west. But once you enter the town of Leland, there is no mistaking that you are in the right place if you find yourself near the water tower with Kermit the Frog’s picture.
The Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Museum is in a small building with 1.5 rooms of gallery space and a gift shop that carries tee shirts, pencils, and Muppet-related items. The museum exhibits include sketches, concept art, finished pieces, and some of the Muppet characters from years of television production. The exhibition features photographs of Jim Henson and his family and photos of his artistic life’s work. There is a display of miniature muppets that you may have seen on Sesame Street, such as Yellow Bird. You will also find the Kermit and Miss Piggy licensed memorabilia here. The young-at-heart will be pleasantly pleased to know you can take photos with the life-size, cuddly, stuffed frog. When you walk in the door, look around, and you will find a life-size diorama of the frog sitting on a log playing a banjo. The diorama is on loan from the Henson family. Disney purchased the rights to the use of the name Kermit. Therefore, the museum references “The Frog.” But when you visit the museum, you can’t help but recognize the green frog and smile.
Visiting the museum during the early part of September during the Frog Festival is an excellent time to immerse yourself in the community that genuinely enjoys anything about the frog. The festival is a giant street fair.