You can now tour this famous puppeteer's Long Island City studio for the first time ever

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in Long Island City has opened for weekly public tours, allowing New Yorkers to visit the studio where beloved puppet characters are created. The 80-minute guided tours run every Saturday and cost $150 per person. Visitors can take photos with iconic characters and props, watch live puppetry demonstrations by Henson puppeteers, meet a professional puppet builder, and explore parts of the working studio. The shop was founded in the 1960s and has built recognizable puppets and creatures for decades. Current artists work on projects including Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and an all-puppet episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Recent highlights include photo opportunities with Oscar the Grouch, sitting on the Skeksis throne, and viewing active puppet-building workspaces.

"Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in Long Island City has opened its doors for weekly public tours, giving fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at the studio responsible for characters from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and countless other productions. The 80-minute guided tours take place every Saturday and cost $150 per person."

"The experience goes far beyond a simple walk-through. Visitors can pose for photos with iconic characters and props, watch live puppetry demonstrations performed by Henson puppeteers, meet one of the shop's professional puppet builders and explore portions of the working studio where artists continue to create characters for film, television and theater."

"Founded by the late puppetry pioneer Jim Henson in the 1960s, the Creature Shop has spent decades building some of the world's most recognizable puppets and creatures. Today, its artists still work on projects ranging from Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock to Five Nights at Freddy's and even an all-puppet episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

"Recent visitors have described the experience as “magical,” with highlights including photo ops inside Oscar the Grouch's trash can, a chance to sit on the Skeksis throne from The Dark Crystal and close-up views of active puppet-building workspaces packed with fabric, foam and half-finished creations."

Read at Time Out New York