Leland , Mississippi Leland , Mississippi is a town in Washington County where Jim Henson attended elementary school until the late 1940s . Leland bills itself as " Birthplace of the Frog and Home of the Blues . " A historic marker in the town reads : Henson was born in nearby Greenville , and the Henson family lived in Stoneville , an adjacent unincorporated community where Henson ' s father worked as a USDA agronomist ( Henson attended elementary school in Leland , because Stoneville had no schools of its own ) . Furthermore , Henson created his first Kermit puppet while living in Hyattsville , Maryland , and the original Kermit was not a frog but rather a lizard - like character of indeterminate species . Attractions . Birthplace of the Frog . " The Birthplace of the Frog : An Exhibit of Jim Henson ' s Delta Boyhood " is a special exhibit housed in the Washington County Tourist Center / Leland Chamber of Commerce building in Leland , Mississippi . The exhibit was given as " a gift to the people of Leland " by Jane Henson and the Jim Henson Legacy . The exhibit originally opened in August 1991 as " The Jim Henson Memorial and Muppet Museum . " The exhibit features a tableau honoring Kermit the Frog ' s birth on Deer Creek , photographs from the Henson family albums , early Henson Company Christmas cards , letters from Jim Henson , and a video center with many of Henson ' s early works . A separate room is filled with Muppet memorabilia and merchandise donated from the personal collections of various individuals . A highlight of the exhibit is a replica of Kermit , donated to the Museum for permanent display . He is posed sitting on a log playing his banjo in the Mississippi swamp . Located in a large glass display case , it is the centerpiece of this small Museum . A more recent addition to the museum is a collection of the puppets from the special " The Song of the Cloud Forest " , which originally aired on " The Jim Henson Hour " in 1989 . These puppets are on loan from the Jim Henson Legacy . Among the puppets on display are Milton and Ruth . The gift shop features many items featuring the Leland Mississippi logo with Kermit . A gigantic plush Kermit is also available for guests to pose for pictures with . The Rainbow Connection Bridge . In 2011 , the town of Leland renamed the Broad Street Bridge over Deer Creek " The Rainbow Connection , " after the song from " The Muppet Movie " . Large , green Kermit - shaped footprints ( or " frogtracks " are painted along the road leading from the bridge to the " Birthplace of the Frog : An Exhibit of Jim Henson ' s Delta Boyhood " exhibit . The public dedication of the bridge took place on Henson ' s 75th birthday — September 24 , 2011 — during the local FrogFest event . Fran Brill was a special guest at the dedication ceremony . Events . Leland FrogFest . The community of Leland hosts the Leland Frogfest , an annual festival of the arts to celebrate the Henson Exhibit in the Mississippi Delta . The event features hands - on arts venues , professional storytellers , magicians , live music , Delta cuisine and live puppet performances . Additionally , starting in 2013 , the annual Deer Creek Chili Cook - off and 5K - run partnered with the Leland Frogfest for a single festival . The event is held in downtown Leland at The Rainbow Connection Bridge . USPS pictorial cancel . On October 18 , 2005 , the United States Postal Service held a ceremony for the Jim Henson and the Muppets postage stamps that featured a " Birthplace of the Frog Station " pictorial cancel . Although the cancel bears the and name and ZIP code of Leland , the ceremony actually took place in the neighboring Stoneville . Cheryl Henson was in attendance and later signed copies of her book " It ' s Not Easy Bein ' Green : And Other Things To Consider " at the Birthplace of the Frog exhibit in Leland . Henson also dedicated the then - new " Song of the Cloud Forest " display for the exhibit .