Dan Antion

Dr. Seuss Museum

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From the museum webpage: The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, the newest museum on the Quadrangle (where four other museums are located), is devoted to Springfield native Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss!

Theodor Seuss Geisel, March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American children’s author. He also worked as a political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, and filmmaker. He is most famous for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss.

Geisel’s parents were Henrietta (née Seuss) and Theodor Robert Geisel. His father managed the family brewery and, when the brewery was closed (because of Prohibition), he was appointed to supervise Springfield’s public park system. Mulberry Street in Springfield, made famous in his first children’s book “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” is near his boyhood home on Fairfield Street. The importance of these facts will become clear if you stroll through today’s first gallery.

Most pictures in the gallery are from the first floor of the museum. The exhibits on that floor are interactive and explore Dr. Seuss’s childhood in Springfield. The second floor is dedicated more to his adult and work life, but photographs were not permitted throughout that floor. There is also a basement level, but I didn’t venture down there. The museum was still maintaining distancing requirements, and since there were people visiting with their young children, I tried to keep moving.

The museum is in a small building, more like a house than a museum building.
Main entrance to the building.
This is just inside the entrance
Walking through the museum was so much fin.
I believe it was his Aunt who owned and operated the bakery.
Even if there’s not a door, you wouldn’t expect me to pass up a brewery…now would you?
Forest Park is the largest park in Springfield. Dr. Seuss’s father would have been in charge of it and its zoo.
Restrooms, jackets and packets.
My favorite – Horton!
Yertle the Turtle – Gertrude McFuzz is one of the other stories in that book.
“Would you eat them here, or there?”
‘look at me! look at me now!’ said the cat. ‘with a cup and a cake on the top of my hat! i can hold up TWO books! i can hold up the fish! and a little toy ship! and some milk on a dish! and look! i can hop up and down on the ball! but that is not all! oh, no. that is not all…
‘i will pick up the hook. you will see something new. two things. and i call them Thing One and Thing Two. these Things will not bite you. they want to have fun.’ then, out of the box came Thing Two and Thing One! and they ran to us fast. they said, ‘how do you do? would you like to shake hands with Thing One and Thing Two?’
Children can read from Dr. Seuss’s stories in here.
Who-ville
I think I could work in an office like that.
There are five rooms on the second floor. They discouraged photography.
One of the rooms on the second floor.

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128 comments

    • The museum was fun to walk through. I was remembering stories that were read to me, stories that I read and then stories that we read to our daughter. I love your canal boat photos!

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  19. Thank you so very much for allowing us to wander through the museum with you. The chances of my ever seeing it in person are slim to nonexistent so I was touched that you allowed me inside. Dr. Seuss is probably why I started reading. I loved his words, I love his images and I love the way his books made me feel. I was important. You cannot put a price on that. I always wanted to try eating green eggs and ham but my mother put her foot down. He will always have a place in my heart.

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    • Would you like your eggs here, or there, Pam? In a house? With a Mouse? My favorite story is Horton Hears a Who, and I’ll always remember someone sticking up for an otherwise insignificant person. I remember checking that book out of the Bookmobile that came to our town.

      I’m glad you enjoyed this!

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  25. What a fun place. We need more people like Dr. Seuss today. They did a beautiful job on the museum. Parents probably can’t get their kids to leave!! 🤗 This was an especially nice tour Dan. Thanks for letting me tag along and find my inner child again.
    Ginger

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    • I’m glad your inner child could visit with us, Ginger. It’s a wonderful place. It was interesting to see where his ideas came from and the things that shaped his views.

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  27. What a fun place to visit for kids of all ages, including those in our age group!
    From these images it certainly looks like they’ve done a wonderful job with this place. I get an upbeat, happy vibe just thinking about being there :-)
    I’ll have to put this on the must-visit list for when we can travel again.
    Excellent post Dan.

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    • Thanks Norm. It’s so good to see you again!

      The museum is perfect, an easy tour, with fun things for kids to do and interesting things for adults to learn about. And, the admission gets you into four other museums.

      I hope we’re all able to travel again, soon. Take care.

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  28. What a fun post, Dan! Who would not want to visit Horton and the museum? And what child would not have enjoyed the many Dr. Seuss books growing up? They bring back great memories, although I have to say I’ve forgotten a lot of the content, so thanks for adding that to the captions of your photos. Have a wonderful cat in the hat Thursday!

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    • Thanks Mary. I still know some of these by heart ;-)

      Seeing a life size Horton was the best part of this visit. We’re having a pretty good day here. I hope you are as well.

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  30. Remember when museums were all “Do Not Touch?” Thank goodness that has changed! Kids must have such a fun time here–I know I would! Heh heh…’photography is discouraged on the second floor.’ So glad that did not stop you! What a great happy post this is, Dan.

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    • The second floor is more adult stuff. It’s interesting to see how he worked and a little of the way he lived. The first floor and the basement are designed to be interactive, and the kids I saw seemed to enjoy it very much. Imagine being a little kid and seeing the life size Horton !!! This kid enjoyed himself, that’s for sure.

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    • He certainly had a big impact on this child (and our child). I love that they finally added the museum to the grounds with the other Springfield museums. It’s a very nice addition.

      Thanks for sharing your green and growing doors.

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  55. What a treat! It looks like a wonderfully fun museum to visit. It reminded me a little of Charles Shultz’s museum in No. Cal. They didn’t like photography there in certain places either.

    Fun, fun, fun Thursday Door post, Dan!

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  60. Reblogged this on A Teacher's Reflections and commented:

    Here’s to Dr. Seuss! His children’s books are timeless. I think most adults know his rhyming stories. My favorite is “Green Eggs and Ham”. Oh, that Sam-I-am! Thank you Dan over at No Facilities for this Dr. Seuss post and a tour of his museum. Play hard and read!

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  61. Thank you for this very interesting presentation. I never before had heard about a museum for him, and his work. Thats great, and honestly much more famous than Disney. ;-) Thank you, and have a beautiful week! Michael

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