Alaska's "Dr Seuss House" is a real-life manifestation of the revered storyteller's Whoville

Table Of Content

• Dr. Seuss Would Have Loved This Alaskan Cabin
• Alaska's "Dr. Seuss House" is a real-life manifestation of the revered storyteller's Whoville
• The Adorably Whimsical ‘Deer Train’ Transports Visitors to Japan’s Famed Nara Park
• Trips
• Dr. Seuss House - Video, Photos and The Story
• The Ultimate Road Trip Guide to Denali National Park
• Alaska’s Dr. Seuss House is a whimsical tower made of stacked cabins

However, the construction is said to have begun right after a forest fire; thus, the trees were all short with new growth. As time progresses, the view was impeded by the maturing trees. In order to keep the view he loved, Weidner realized that he had to keep building taller and taller.

Dr. Seuss Would Have Loved This Alaskan Cabin

Weidner said once the building is finished, he may open up the outside for visitors to come and see. Situated in the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska, the fantastical house is what most of us would describe as something we’ve seen in a Dr. Seuss book. Unlike anything Dr. Seuss wrote about, however, this “house is real, it’s not a fantasy” says Phillip Weidner, creator, builder, and owner of the towering home, which stands 185 feet high.

Alaska's "Dr. Seuss House" is a real-life manifestation of the revered storyteller's Whoville

The original owner worked on it extensively for 10 years before he died. Then it sat abandoned for 10 years until a new owner purchased it and has started renovations. We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet.

The Adorably Whimsical ‘Deer Train’ Transports Visitors to Japan’s Famed Nara Park

That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Meg Archer is an Editor & Newsletter Editor who has called Oregon home for nearly 30 years. She spent her childhood exploring the mountains, forests, and high desert of Central Oregon before relocating to Portland after a brief stint out-of-state for college.

Trips

Just how did this eclectic MIT alumni and self-described “frustrated architect” construct this private home as a series of stacked houses placed one on top of another? The higher the house reached, the smaller the floors become… and the more they looked as though they are randomly and haphazardly placed one atop of another. The previous owner spent a decade adding floors, but when he died abruptly, the tower was abandoned for 10 years. Renovations were then taken over a by a new occupant to add more stories, and the sky-piercing structure now comprises 12 floors that gradually taper in square footage. The Alaskan wilderness is home to many natural wonders but also an unusual man-made structure that appears to have jumped right out of the pages of a Dr. Seuss book.

As the trees grew taller, he would add another level to see the mountain. As the story goes, the owner originally built the home to get a good view of Denali(Mt. McKinley), American’s tallest mountain. Near the small town of Telkeetna, Alaska, there is a house unlike any other. The 360-degree views of the surrounding wilderness can be observed for up to 300 miles. Weidner had hoped that when the house construction was finished, the family would be able to enjoy the tower. Weidner also planned to sit on top and watch the Northern Lights.

The house has a 185-foot-tall skinny tower that resembles layers atop of a wedding cake. You'd think the story behind this one-of-a-kind home would be a tall tale (har har), but it's actually not a figment of anyone's imagination. According to Colossal, the first owner of this Seussian cabin in Willow, Alaska, wanted to build a home with a view of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park.

Abandoned Dr Seuss house in Alaska a tower of mystery - Domain News

Abandoned Dr Seuss house in Alaska a tower of mystery.

Posted: Sun, 15 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Meg has worked in writing, editing, and media-related fields for over 10 years and joined the team at OnlyInYourState in 2015. When she’s not writing or exploring the West Coast, Meg enjoys playing tabletop games, working on visual media projects, and can always be found in the front row at Portland Timbers matches. In fact, not much at all was known about the house—not even the owner—until reporters from local station KTVA started looking into it. In an odd turn of architectural fate, the Geisel Library at San Diego State University by William Pereirais named for Dr. Seuss.

Weidner kept adding levels to what’s been nicknamed the Dr. Seuss House until he reached 185 feet. The only reason Weidner stopped when he did is because federal airspace starts at 200 feet, and he didn’t want the home (which he calls the Goose Creek Tower) to violate any laws. The Giesel Library by William Pereira at San Diego State University, almost as much a spectacle as the so-called “Dr.

Of course, the observatory at the top served as a bonus attraction. You can't visit the house in person, but if you want to see it, you can get a good view on Alaska's train north. Hidden in the sparse woods outside Talkeetna, Alaska, is a bizarrely singular home known by locals as the Dr. Seuss House, though that isn’t what its creator calls it. While this whimsical house has no direct relation to the famed author, it is easy to see how the structure got its nickname.

But as the surrounding area recovered from a forest fire, the trees grew tall, and the only way to preserve the view was to go up. The top of the tower offers 360-degree views and Weidner — who works as one of Alaska’s top trial attorneys — says it’s possible to see for a minimum of 300 miles. Last year, Weidner announced he was once again working on his Dr. Seuss House.

Although the major construction is finished, including electrical and plumbing, he plans to work on the interiors for the next couple of years. The eccentric owner has promised that the tower will be open to the public again once it’s ready, but requests that people stay away for now. “It’s a construction zone and it’s just too dangerous,” he explained. Goose Creek Tower was built in the late 90’s, but after its completion, Weirdner decided to take some time away from the project, so the house was virtually abandoned and empty. During this period, it was visited by thousands of Dr. Seuss fans who were eager to look inside and take pictures of themselves standing next to it.

Mr. Weidner didn’t set out to build a fantastic, fictional place… he wasn’t even planning to create Goose Creek Tower (the structure’s TRUE name) as it stands today. It was abandoned for a while but now has a new owner who is working on renovations and, hopefully, some reinforcements too. Photographer Jovell Rennie recently took some shots of the wondrous house, which looks like an appropriate spot for a Lorax to live. UnusualPlaces.org is your guide to quirky, weird, and beautiful places to visit around the world. Besides highlighting these unique destinations, we also delve into offbeat travel experiences and provide insightful travel tips. Our content extends to featuring unusual hotels and restaurants, ensuring you have a comprehensive guide for your adventurous travels.

The major building is finished, but it’ll take a while before the interior is done and the building is habitable. Weidner said he’d like to make the first few floors rooms for his family to stay in. The top certainly offers a unique perspective on Alaska, with 360-degree views of (on a clear day) Denali, the Homer Spit, and the start of the Aleutian chain. The owner considers it “a poem to the sky.” He just doesn’t know when it will be finished. He also wants to put in a ham radio station, and broadcast what he calls Radio Free Goose Creek.

However, quickly the knowledge he gained from his engineering degree got ahead of him. One floor was added, and then another and another… more and more ladders and staircases were constructed and now, depending on how you choose to arrive at the top, there are somewhere between 14 and 17 floors. The project started as a two-story cabin, but once he got started, Mr. Weidner let his mind (and engineering degree) take over. Sure, it’s a long way to the top, but once you get there, the view can’t be beat. On a clear day, Mr. Weidner can see for over 300 miles in all directions. There are several thoughts as to why the house kept “growing.” Some versions of the story claim that when the house was originally built, it had a fabulous view of Denali.

As the story goes, the original owner of this unwieldy building located in Willow, Alaska built his house shortly after a forest fire with a clear view of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. As the surrounding trees recovered, the pristine view was obscured and the owner decided to add few more stories, eventually spending a decade adding floors until it reached the 12-ish story tower you see today. Seuss House” as the design so closely mimics structures you might see in Theodor Geisel’s illustrated storybooks. The home’s original creator, builder, and owner, Phillip Weidner, originally planned on building a two-story log cabin.