Exhibit honors Henson, 'The Frog'

"It's just amazing the people that come in and they are all a part of it," said Zepponi.

Two shelves of Muppet items, including a plush Animal doll, were provided by San Diego resident Kevin Watson.

"He contacted us and let us know that he absolutely had to have part of his collection be a part of this exhibit," Zepponi said.

Zepponi said visitors often send items by mail after stopping by the exhibit.

Items on display include McDonald's Happy Meal toys, plush Kermit and Miss Piggy dolls, and vintage Muppet lunch boxes. There is also a special case devoted to "Muppet Babies" and "Sesame Street."

"It's interesting to know that I am right in the area of the show I grew up watching," said Mashondia Redmon, 34, on a recent visit.

Redmon is director of a program in Greenville that helps youths get their GED while balancing work schedules. Redmon and several teachers brought the students to the exhibit to learn about Henson.

"It shows them that people from Greenville can come and do great things," said teacher Angela Champion.

Dorothy Dixon, 18, of Leland, grew up with "Sesame Street" and the Muppets. Her favorite movie was "Muppets from Space."

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For the true Muppets fanatic, the exhibit also has a gift shop with hand-puppets, T-shirts and all things Kermit - the top seller, of course, being "anything with Kermit on it," said Emily Kearney, a tour guide at the exhibit.

Kermit made his debut in a 1955 television comedy called "Sam and Friends," which aired locally in Washington, D.C., but he looked more like a lizard back then. The first puppet was fashioned from an old coat belonging to Henson's mother.

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Henson and his 2-foot tall puppet joined "Sesame Street" in 1969. "The Muppet Show" followed in 1976 and ended its run in 1982. Henson's puppets moved to the big screen in 1979 with "The Muppet Movie," followed by movies including "The Great Muppet Caper" and "The Muppets Take Manhattan."

Henson gave Kermit a voice and a life for 35 years. After Henson's sudden death at age 53 from pneumonia and a strep infection, Kermit's voice and movements were done by Steve Whitmire, who started working for Henson in 1978.

Whitmire was a Kermit fan from the time he was a child - just like most of the people who stop by the exhibit in Leland.

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