Brisbane School Holiday Magic: Step Into the Wonderful World of Jim Henson at GOMA

Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company

Looking for something different to do with the family during the Queensland school holidays? Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art is offering children and adults the chance to step into the colourful, imaginative world of Jim Henson.

Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company is an exclusive-to-Brisbane exhibition celebrating 70 years of creativity, puppetry and storytelling. Running at GOMA from 12 September 2026 until 18 April 2027, the exhibition brings together much-loved characters, creatures, costumes, props and sets from some of the world's most memorable productions.

Meet the Characters Behind the Magic

Families can discover the creative worlds of Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Muppets, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth through an immersive exhibition that explores how Jim Henson and his creative team brought extraordinary characters to life.

Among the instantly recognisable favourites are Sesame Street characters including Elmo and Cookie Monster, while fans of Fraggle Rock can see the Great Hall set from Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock in a world-first exhibition experience.

The exhibition features hundreds of objects, including practical puppets, animatronic creatures, props, costumes, original drawings and moving-image clips, providing an insight into the craftsmanship behind the productions.

Make Your Own Puppet During the School Holidays

Make, Believe, Magic

One of the highlights for younger visitors is The Sock Puppet Studio, a hands-on activity running daily from 10.00am to 3.30pm during Queensland state school holidays.

Children can use simple materials including socks, pipe cleaners and yarn to create their own character. They can then become performers themselves, learning puppetry techniques and recording a lip-sync performance inspired by the work of The Jim Henson Company.

The activity is suitable for all ages and abilities, with no previous puppetry experience required. The finished puppets remain at GOMA so the materials can be reused by other young creators.

Free Family Film Screenings

The Jim Henson experience continues beyond the exhibition galleries with three free cinema programs at GOMA's Australian Cinémathèque.

Screened to be Believed: The Jim Henson Company, Where the Wild Things Are Made: Jim Henson's Creature Shop and Beyond Henson: Puppetry and World Cinema explore the extraordinary relationship between puppetry, filmmaking and visual storytelling. The programs include more than 90 films and are scheduled throughout the exhibition season.

A School Holiday Experience for the Whole Family

Make, Believe, Magic

With colourful characters, behind-the-scenes creations, hands-on making and free film programs, Make, Believe, Magic offers families an opportunity to discover how imagination, craftsmanship and technology combine to create memorable worlds.

The exhibition is at GOMA until 18 April 2027, making it an attraction worth putting on the Brisbane itinerary well beyond the current school holidays.

Advance booking is recommended as timed-entry tickets are used for the exhibition. A family bundle discount is also available for eligible combinations of adult and child or youth tickets.

Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art

Website: https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/
Email: events.plus@qagoma.qld.gov.au
Phone: +61 (0)7 3840 7303
Address: Stanley Place, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia

For more travel inspiration read the daily online "The Holiday and Travel Magazine" https://theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com/