Is Turkey Hollow a Real Place? Exploring the Origins of the Fictional Town

Turkey Hollow is a fictional town that serves as the setting for the 2015 Lifetime Thanksgiving film, Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow. Though the quaint small town filled with quirky characters and legendary monsters seems like it could be real, Turkey Hollow exists only in the imagination of the film’s creators.

The Origins of Turkey Hollow

The idea for Turkey Hollow originated in 1968 with iconic puppeteer Jim Henson and his frequent collaborator Jerry Juhl. They drafted a treatment for a Thanksgiving special titled The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow that featured Henson’s Muppet monsters interacting with human actors in a New England town setting. Henson built prototype monster puppets and took test photos with his daughters in the woods near his Connecticut home but the project failed to move forward at the time.

Decades later in 2014, Henson’s company adapted the unproduced concept into a graphic novel called Turkey Hollow. When it came time to develop a film adaptation the following year, the fictional town of Turkey Hollow was relocated to the Pacific Northwest, but the core idea of mixing human characters with Henson-style friendly monsters remained.

Where Is Turkey Hollow Set?

Though never explicitly stated in the film, Turkey Hollow appears to be set in a forested region of Oregon or Washington. Aunt Cly’s farmhouse has a Pacific Northwest aesthetic with wood interiors and stone fireplaces. The woods and valleys surrounding the town also fit the geography of the Northwest region west of the Cascades.

Being a fictional place, however, the location of Turkey Hollow is flexible. Much like the evocative but imaginary settings of films like Brigadoon or Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls, Turkey Hollow represents the kind of idyllic American hometown we carry in our imaginations, full of lush nature, rustic architecture, and small town charm.

Why Is It Called Turkey Hollow?

The name Turkey Hollow conjures images of a valley where wild turkeys roam. However, the only turkeys significantly featured in the film are the farmed variety being illegally raised by villain Eldridge Slump. While wild turkeys are native to parts of the Pacific Northwest, it seems the name Turkey Hollow was chosen more for its rustic, Thanksgiving-evoking sound than any literal meaning.

Henson’s original conception did emphasize wild musical monsters as a key part of the town’s lore. The film pays homage to this by having the name Turkey Hollow spoken of as a local legend parents invoke to scare kids “Better behave or the monsters from Turkey Hollow will get you!”

Could Turkey Hollow Ever Become a Real Town?

While Turkey Hollow doesn’t currently exist on any map, fans often wish they could visit this magical place. Just as the idyllic fictional towns of Stars Hollow or Mayberry attracted tourism, there’s no reason Turkey Hollow couldn’t someday become an actual physical place.

With the right property, financing, and permits, an entrepreneur could conceivably build a Turkey Hollow-themed town attraction. Recreating key locations like Aunt Cly’s Farm and the Turkey Hollow General Store could let visitors briefly experience lifee in this monster-filled hollow. Add some costumed characters, holiday events, and rustic cabin rentals, and Turkey Hollow could become a beloved vacation destination.

For now, Turkey Hollow lives on in viewers’ imaginations and in reruns airing each Thanksgiving. But with the right vision, this fictional town could eventually inspire a real place capturing the spirit of the film, a magical Hollow welcoming all for the holidays.

The Takeaway: Turkey Hollow – Rustic Magic Straight from Imagination

In the end, the fact that Turkey Hollow isn’t real only adds to its appeal. Conjured from the boundless imagination of Jim Henson, it represents the kind of beautiful, rustic, monster-filled place we wish existed. Turkey Hollow captures the feeling of celebrating the holidays in an idyllic small town – not a specific geographic location but a space filled with wonder we can escape to in stories.