Hey everyone! If you read my December @yourtop3 post about my favourite holiday movies, then you might just recognize these guys in my cover photo. They are none other than Emmet and the boys from Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. I got the whole family, including myself, some fun t-shirts for the holidays in honour of the classic holiday film by our childhood hero, Jim Henson. Right before the end of the year all the gals in the family took a trip to the Center for Puppetry Arts here in Atlanta. I wrote about the wonderful place two years ago in this post, but it's such a magical place I couldn't help but cover it again!
This particular trip was actually my Christmas present to my niece. The kid has everything you could possibly hope for as an almost-4-year-old, so I would much rather gift her with experiences. I think I also mentioned in my holiday movie post that watching Rudolph live at the Center was when I first felt my niece kick in my sister's very pregnant belly, so getting to bring her for her first trip outside of the womb was pretty special. We also had ulterior motives as the museum has a special exhibit on The Dark Crystal right now.
After having recently finished the Netflix prequel series (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), we were all especially excited to get to check out the exhibit. It did not disappoint!
With the little one with us, it was tough to take too long to really see everything, but it is still breathtaking to see the genius level of creativity that goes in to designing the puppets and making the set come to life!
From Podling outfits...
To Landstrider masks...
The majestic Mystics at full size...
...and of course the counterpart Skeksis.
I even caught Aughra checking her phone. 😉
I could spend hours just looking at each detail. This exhibit was only supposed to go through the end of the year, but I believe they extended it for a few more months because it was so popular. They normally have a small section for the movie in the main Jim Henson exhibit, but it was really neat to see even more pieces and sketches in one spot. The ladies and I all approved.
Of course after we watched the live puppet version of Rudolph, we made a quick trip through the rest of the museum. Ma and Emmet weren't there, but they still had a nod to the Emmet Otter movie in the Henson exhibit.
I couldn't even begin to share all of the wonderful stops along the way in the museum, but I'll try to share a few more top pieces along the way...
Hoggle above and Sir Didymus below from another beloved childhood classic--Labyrinth!
My niece is also a big Ludo fan. She's got her own toy, though it is a bit different than the one below. On the Henson side all the other classics are represented, though I didn't snap any shots of the regulars like Sesame Street, The Muppets, and Fraggle Rock.
We really rushed through the international puppets exhibit, though I couldn't help but get a pic of the newly acquired Tom Servo and Crow from Mystery Science Theater 3000. My dad and I used to watch that show and laugh at their commentary of the old films they viewed.
It truly is a magical place, so if you love Jim Henson, puppets, or just museums in general make sure you stop by next time you are in Atlanta! I'm hoping we'll make another visit before the next holiday season. They always have some fun events going on throughout the year--for both children and adults alike! Though I have to say even just going to walk around the museum is worth the time spent.
