Oscar's trash can is the private domain of Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street. For forty-five years, it was situated between the 123 Sesame Street stoop and Big Bird's nest at 123¼ Sesame Street.^[1] As of season 46, it sits within a recycling trash zone in front of 123 Sesame Street.

Like Doctor Who’s TARDIS, the classic clown cars, or Snoopy's doghouse, Oscar's trash can is considerably deeper than one would initially suspect. The seemingly bottomless domain houses a variety of diverse Grouch amenities and luxuries which are mostly never seen.

History[]

Oscar the Grouch was originally planned by Jim Henson and Jon Stone to live in a manhole^[2][3] or in a pile of trash in a gutter. This was changed to a trash can, in part because "the studio had no trapdoors that would allow a puppeteer to work from under the floor."^[4]

In the earliest episodes of the first season, the trash can was atop a big blue crate adjacent to a wooden crate at right, with a few more trash cans around; later on in the season until 1974, the base and the crate were replaced, the latter by a trunk, with a trash pail on top of another crate at left. In 1974, and until 2015, the perch was redesigned, with a big burlap crate replacing the trunk and a barrel as the base, and the rest of the area consisting of more crates, a garbage pail and a trash bag (though the previous look was re-instated for Christmas Eve on Sesame Street in 1978).

In Episode 0799, Oscar installed an Olympic-size swimming pool inside his trash can.

The 1989 book What's in Oscar's Trash Can? and Other Good-Night Stories mentions the swimming pool as well as an ice-skating rink (which, on the series, has been used by Peggy Fleming) and a bowling alley. According to Sesame Street Unpaved other items include a piano, art gallery and hearth and a train set ("Grouch Central Station"). A 1970 article in Look Magazine also notes a pastry kitchen and a rococo staircase.^[5] In the Elmo's World installment Farms Oscar gives Elmo a tour of his farm (shown in darkness with only the pair's eyes visible). As established on various occasions, the trash can also has a back door. Episode 1159 established that a door in Oscar's can leads straight to the basement of 123 Sesame Street.

In Episode 1419, Oscar builds a tunnel system from his trash can to the one in the Fix-It Shop, which he would be seen in from time to time for a few years (including Episode 1560 and 1647).

In Episode 2089, Oscar tells a fabricated story of the day he moved to Sesame Street. In his version, the space next to the 123 stoop was empty until he settled down. He first tried living in a tent made from newspapers, then a metal wastebasket. Finally, Bob replaces all the trash cans on the block with brand new ones and Oscar moves into one of the used ones intended to be be thrown out.

He has not retained the same can for the entirety of the show's run. In Episode 0969, his trash can is taken away by the sanitation department with the intention of replacing all the cans on the block with shiny new ones; his old can is unfortunately melted down at the dump. Maria and Luis take one of the new cans and remodel it to resemble the dirty old trash can Oscar is accustomed to.

Oscar shares his trash can with many pets. This diverse menagerie includes goats, a horse, elephants (notably Fluffy), a dolphin, and his favorite pet, his beloved pet worm Slimey. His niece Irvine, his girlfriend Grundgetta, his mother and other Grouch friends and relatives are frequent visitors.

For the most part, very few of the "nice" residents of Sesame Street dare venture into the bowels of the municipal waste container. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel asked Grover if he has ever been in Oscar's trash can. Grover said, "No. No, no, no. I can not go anywhere ten feet within that thing." Kimmel asked, "Is anyone besides -- are Grouches only allowed in the trash can?" Grover responded, "Well, no, anybody is allowed, but... Who would want to go in there? Huh?"

Key exceptions have occurred over the years, however. While Big Bird was helping get ready for Miles' arrival on Sesame Street a lonely Snuffy entered to play catch with Fluffy in Episode 2122. Wanda Cousteau sought refuge in the trash can in Episode 3161 as a hiding place from the hungry Wolfgang. When Gina is studying to become a vet in Episode 3787, she goes down into the trash can through the back door and successfully removes a splinter from Fluffy's foot with some elephants' tweezers. In Episode 2316, Linda sat in the trash can when filling in for an "Ask Oscar" segment. When Buffy visited during season 12, she and Cody stayed in Oscar's can (in the Grime Room, according to Episode 1541). In one episode during Buffy's stay, Oscar turned his can into a Grouchaway Inn when Mr. Hooper, David, and Barkley (who was supposed to spend the night with David) both left their keys inside Hooper's Store after locking up.

The inside of Oscar's trash can was depicted on-camera for the first time in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Oscar has a door in his trash can to take people to Grouchland USA. Elmo enters in search of his blanket and later a rescue party follows suit, including Big Bird, Gordon, Maria, Telly, Cookie Monster and Zoe. Big Bird in particular has a hard time fitting inside the trash can's narrow opening.

The inside of the can was previously shown (mostly in the dark) in Episode 3271 where Luis enters to wake Oscar up from a nightmare. The inside was later shown in Episode 3997, though this time, it was a lot more like the normal inside of a trash can. Episode 2619 briefly showed Oscar sleeping on a couch, presumably inside his can, during a montage in the song "Sleepytime on Sesame Street."

In addition to being able to store a wide variety of items in his trash can, Oscar has also put holes into the bottom and has been able to walk with his legs outside of the bottom. He first walked like this in the season three premiere. He has continued to travel like this for many years, though he has also frequently been seen outside of the trash can. Outside of the show Oscar has traveled with his legs sticking out of the bottom in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, the Sesame Street Live stage shows and Don't Eat the Pictures. This feature was also utilized in the opening dance number in Julie on Sesame Street, where a series of dancing trash cans with fuzzy grouch legs danced with Julie Andrews.

In season 46, Oscar's trash can changed locations for the first time in the show's history, moving into a dumpster unit with a recycling bin in the low wall outside of 123 Sesame Street under Elmo's apartment. During the season, Oscar had the ability to pop from multiple trashcans and receptacles around the street. In Episode 5029, Oscar acknowledges the move and claims it was due to the other side of the stoop being a noisier place to live. Designer David Gallo explains the reasoning behind the move:

“We wanted to make him much more central. So not only is he in this fancy-schmancy recycling trash zone, he’s now on the corner. He’s pretty much dead-center so he can see what’s going on.^[6]”

During season 46, Oscar could appear from a trash can in front of Hooper's Store...

...and a compost bin in the community garden.

Interior[]

As depicted in The Sesame Street Book & Record.

Caroll Spinney Artworks

As seen in the book, Oscar-the-Grouch's Alphabet of Trash, illustrated by Sal Murdocca.

As seen in the book, Elmo in Grouchland: Songs, illustrated by Mark Skillicorn.

As seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland Coloring Fun!, illustrated by Mark Skillicorn.

As seen in the book, What's in Oscar's Trash Can?, illustrated by Joe Ewers.

As seen in the book, What Makes You Giggle?, illustrated by Tom Brannon.

As seen in the book, Grouches Are Green, illustrated by Joe Mathieu.

As seen in the book, What is Family on Sesame Street?, illustrated by Ernie Kwiat.

As seen in the book, The ABCs of Trash, illustrated by Ernie Kwiat.

As seen in Ernie's Adventures in Space.

As seen in the online game, Oscar's Trash Collection.

Episode 0625

As seen in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.

Elmo's World: Farms

Episode 3997

As seen in the animated lyric video for "I Love Trash".

Detective Grover dives into Oscar's can in Street Mission.

The interior as seen in Street Mission.

As seen in Oscar's Webby Award acceptance speech.

Inventory and locations[]

• television set — 0010, 0044, 0077, 0216, 0930, 1456, 2218, 2274, 3997, 5029, Sesame Street, Special
• piano — 0010, 0926, 1371 (new delivery), 1859, and others; specified as a Steinway in 0244, 0384, 0443, and 0617
• bowling alley (adjacent to his billiards room) — 0012, 0540, 1026, 3037, What's in Oscar's Trash Can?
• billiards room — 0012, 0582
• living room — 0020, 0381, 0560, 0600, 0700, 1015, 1409, 1475, 1732, 1747, 2012, 2073, 2690, 3681, 3790, 3895, 4178
• chiffonier — 0020, 0458, 0901, 2172, 2882
• library — 0026, 3714
• foyer — 0026, 3010
• greenhouse — 0031, 0707, 1065
• kitchen — 0031, 0054, 0381, 0541, 0560, 0674, 0698, 0700, 1007, 1015, 1368, 1409, 1599, 1935, 2072, 2073, 3714, 3787, 4133
• fountain — 0035, 0044, 0099
• credenza — 0037
• shower — 0042, 0141, 0384, 0600, 1159
• velvet sofa, bear-skin rug, Aretha Franklin records — 0044
• crystal chandelier — 0050, 0540, 1368, 4064
• washer-dryer-folder-putter-awayer — 0051
• den — 0051, 0689
• basement — 0051, 1139, 3059
• rumpus room — 0051
• oven — 0054, 0260, 2121
• number collection — 0059
• train — 0067, 0079
• fireplace with mantelpiece — 0084, 0291, 0384, 0650, 1070, 2214, 2667, 3113, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• dining room (located in a swamp) — 0094, 0671, 0700, 4725
• submarine (yellow-colored) — 0109
• flood lights, tennis court — The Flip Wilson Show
• squash court — 0324
• china cabinet — 0350, 0443, 0841, 1801, 2122, 2851, 2886, 3120, 3122, 3271, 3787, 4037, 4064
• bedroom — 0381, 0560, 0901, 1368
• pickle bush — 0424, 0540
• ballroom, led by a lobby in his West wing — 0530
• Chippendale, bulldozer, sauna (filled with a dead lobster collection) — 0540
• game room — 0540, 0700
• statue of Uncle Ugly — 0541
• transit (bus) system — 0560
• stereo set — 0617, 0812
• dump truck — 0617
• lighting — 0618, 0666
• hope chest, loveseat — 0646
• 1937 Oldsmobile (no wheels) — 0650
• conservatory — 0689
• trampoline — 0700, 0841, 1571, 2852, 3054, 3181, 3648, 4064, 4173
• framed picture of Benedict Arnold, family suit of armor — 0756
• pool — referenced on many occasions and in books, including 0799 and What's in Oscar's Trash Can?; its splash is seen in 1266, 1571, 1618, 1625, 1938, 1962, 2122, 2545, 2642, 3037, 3181, 3892, 3897, 4037, and Lead Away!
• trash compactor — 0802, 1159, 1535
• ping-pong table — 0841
• vacuum — 0871
• cabana — 0938
• zoo — 1046, 1747
• mud room (with tar pit) — 1431, 1535, 1536, 1553, 1784, 2597, 2882, 3271
• elevator — 1467, 2851
• chicken coop, alligator lounge — 1535
• grime room — 1541
• drawing room — 1650
• family room — 1747
• computer (a Worm II) — 1933, 2299, and others
• T room — 2066
• knick knack shelf — 2122, 2172
• dark room — 2145
• furnace — 2190, 2450, 2545
• bridal suite — 2495
• statue of Benedict Arnold — 2798
• pig pen, lily pond — 2851
• spiral 20-step staircase (19 good, 1 broken) — 2851, 2993, and others
• hot tub — 2882, 2971
• armoire — 2915
• toy boat, "The Queen Muddy" — 3831
• slime pit, fish pond — 4409

Notes[]

• "Oscar's Trash Can" appears as a property on the Monopoly: Sesame Street Edition game board in place of Ventnor Avenue.

• An animatronic Oscar in his trash can has previously been featured outside the Sesame Street General Store.

• There is a foot pedal on the set piece which helps lift the lid up, but, as of 2011, Caroll Spinney has not used the foot pedal in 41 years.^[7]

See also[]

• Oscar walking with his trash can
• Visitors to Oscar's trash can
• Oscar's signs

Sources[]