The Muppets industry and popular culture in the United States, receiving recognition from various cultural institutions and organizations, including the American Film Institute, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Library of Congress, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Muppets were created by puppeteer Jim Henson in the 1950s, beginning with Kermit the Frog, who would become Henson's most recognizable character. Originally conceived for an adult audience, Henson claimed, and later retracted, that he coined the term "Muppet" as a portmanteau of the words "marionette" and "puppet". In 1955, the Muppets were introduced in "Sam and Friends", a short-form television series
The Muppets Studios (known then as Disney-MGM Studios) for a year. Muppet*Vision 3D, a 4D film attraction that uses audio-animatronic Muppets and 4D effects, then opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 16, 1991. The attraction is notable for being the final Muppets project to be produced by Jim Henson. Muppet*Vision 3D had a subsequent opening at Disney California Adventure, on February 8, 2001, and operated there until its closure in 2014. In addition to their main presence at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Muppets also appear in "Great Moments in American History", a live show at the Magic Kingdom and the Muppet