Tickets are now on sale for a large interactive Dr. Seuss exhibit opening this October in Chicago. Based on some of the most iconic children’s books by the beloved author and illustrator, the Dr. Seuss Experience immerses visitors in a maze based on Oh, the Places You’ll Go, as well as other rooms based on The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, and Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?, among other books.
After a debut run in Toronto in 2019 and a stint in Houston earlier in 2021, the 25,000-square-foot exhibit opens in Chicago in the former Macy’s site at Water Tower Place on October 8, 2021, and runs through January 2, 2022. There are plans to open the show in other North American cities, but specific dates and locations have yet to be announced.
“I wanted to explore the books and bring the characters to life in a new and engaging way,” Susan Brandt, president of San Diego–based Dr. Seuss Enterprises, told the Associated Press in 2019 before the Toronto opening.
The exhibit is a partnership between Dr. Seuss Enterprises—the company founded by Audrey Geisel, the late widow of Theodor Seuss Geisel, who wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss—and Kilburn Live, a division of Los Angeles–based entertainment company Kilburn Media.
Inside, guests will get to navigate a maze of suspended balloons inspired by Oh, the Places You’ll Go. In The Lorax room, you’ll wander through a forest of truffula trees, while the If I Ran the Circus room features a working carousel. Over in the Horton Hears a Who! room, you can walk around a field of waist-high pink clover. For the holiday season, there’s also a How the Grinch Stole Christmas room planned.
Where is the Dr. Seuss Experience in Chicago?
The exhibit is located at Water Tower Place at 835 N. Michigan Avenue on the corner of E. Pearson Street in downtown Chicago. The closest “L” train stop is the Chicago station on the Red Line, about a six-minute walk away.
How do I get tickets and what do they cost?
After a short pre-sale, tickets went on sale on September 10, at experienceseuss.com. Currently, four different types of tickets are available:
General Admission: General admission tickets for peak hours (Friday–Sunday and holiday weeks) are $34 for people age 13 and over and $27 for children ages 1–13 (infants under 12 months are free). If you’re going with a group of four people, you can get a Family Four Pack of tickets for $26.25 for each ticket. For nonpeak hours on most Wednesdays, it’s $29 for those age 13 and over and $23 for children ages 1–13. Family Four Packs are $23.75 per ticket.
“Children Under 5” Hours: While strollers aren’t allowed into the exhibit, there is an exception for tickets booked on select Wednesdays and Fridays between 1 and 4 p.m. through December 15. During these hours, parents can bring strollers in and tickets for children ages 1–13 are $5 off.
Super Stoo-Pendous Hours: To experience the exhibit with no crowds, a limited quantity of Super Stoo-Pendous Hour tickets are available on Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Fridays 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. between October 8 and December 16 (excluding Thanksgiving). Tickets are $45 per person (infants under 12 months are free).
VIP Anytime Tickets: To visit on a specific date—but with no specific timed entry booked—you can purchase a VIP Anytime Ticket for $50 per person (infants under 12 months are free).
What are the COVID safety precautions?
In accordance with local and state regulations, the Dr. Seuss Experience requires masks for all guests over the age of 2 until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article. This article was originally published on September 9, 2021; it was updated with current ticket information on September 10, 2021.
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