Al Roker Gets Hands-On With Puppets at Jim Henson's Creature Shop
The famed puppet workshop opens its doors to visitors for the first time ever.
Al Roker took viewers of TODAY inside Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the workshop long known for building puppets for film, television, and the stage, as it opened its doors to the public for the first time with the new Creature Shop Tour. During the segment, Roker got a firsthand look at how the puppets are designed and built before trying his own hand at operating one on camera.
The Creature Shop has spent decades producing puppets used across film and stage productions, and the new tour gives fans a rare chance to see the process up close. Roker's visit highlighted the craftsmanship involved in bringing the characters to life, from the mechanics behind their movement to the artistry of their construction.
The tour marks a shift for the famously private workshop, which is now inviting the public in to see how its creations come together rather than keeping the process behind closed doors. For fans of puppetry and the Henson legacy, the opportunity offers a rare glimpse into a space that has historically only been seen through the finished products on screen.
Roker's attempt at puppeteering during the segment underscored just how much skill goes into operating the shop's creations, turning what looked simple on screen into a hands-on challenge once he tried it himself.
