In the heart of the Mississippi Delta off the Blues Highway sits Leland. A town that puts Christmas floats in their swamp and claims to be the Birthplace of Kermit the Frog.
Perched on the edge of Deer Creek, Kermit’s tiny museum celebrates the famous frog and his Muppet friends.
Kermit’s creator, Jim Henson, played in the Leland swamplands with his childhood friend Kermit Scott. Of course, abundant frogs were also their playmates.
The museum is chock-full of Muppet puppets and memorabilia donated from Kermit fans from all over the world.
The museum’s docent told us that the World’s Most Famous Frog was based on Jim’s friend Kermit Scott. Scott was a college professor when one of his students asked him about his Muppet tribute. Professor Scott had no idea Kermit was his namesake and called Henson who verified the story.
Admission to The Birthplace of the Frog: An Exhibit of Jim Henson’s Delta Boyhood is free. Kermit, the original Muppet, was dreamed up by a boy with a love of nature. Jim cut cloth from one of his mother’s old coats to make the first prototype. The feisty frog has gone on to star in TV shows, movies and live productions across our globe.