
Kermit the Frog dressed as “The Little Tramp” has greeted passersby on La Brea Avenue for 25 years. (photo courtesy of the Jim Henson Company)
A statue on La Brea Avenue paying tribute to two icons of the silver screen – one known for his top hat and cane and the other known for his small green appearance – will soon hop from Hollywood to Atlanta. The statue at the entrance to the former Jim Henson Company Lot depicting Kermit the Frog dressed in Charlie Chaplin’s unmistakable wardrobe will be donated to the Center for the Puppetry Arts, the Jim Henson Company announced on Nov. 29.
“This Kermit-as-Chaplin statue represents a chapter in The Jim Henson Company’s story,” said Lisa Henson, daughter of Jim Henson and CEO of the Jim Henson Company. “We know that our friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts – who are such important partners in celebrating our history – will provide the perfect home where this part of the Henson legacy can be shared.”
The relocation of the Muppets’ leading frog follows the 2024 sale of the lot at 1416 N. La Brea Ave. to musician John Mayer and director McG for $40 million. The Jim Henson Company has since moved its headquarters to Radford Studio Center in Studio City.
The statue will be placed on the campus of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Midtown, Atlanta. The center is the largest nonprofit dedicated to puppetry, and is home to the largest collection of Jim Henson artifacts in the world. It is unclear when the statue will be relocated and unveiled in Atlanta.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Henson family, including our board member Cheryl Henson, an iconic piece of Hollywood history will continue to delight fans from around the world,” said Beth Schiavo, executive director of the Center for Puppetry Arts. “We are deeply honored to be the new stewards of this joyful symbol of creativity, humor and storytelling.”
The Hollywood lot that will soon say goodbye to its emblematic frog has a storied history, first serving as Chaplin’s film studio from 1919 to 1952. Between 1967 and 1999, the studio was home to A&M Records, where many of music’s biggest stars recorded, including for the 1985 “We Are the World” charity single. The recording session drew artists including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and Bob Dylan, just to name a few. In 1999, the lot was purchased by the Jim Henson Company, which created the statue of Kermit in “The Little Tramp” attire as an homage to the site’s history.





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