"You can find magic wherever you look.
Sit back and relax,
all you need is a book."
- Dr. Seuss
...and oh so magical it was! The Dr. Seuss Experience was an immersive display of all things Seuss. From the magestic Truffula Trees to whimsical characters to explorative gadgets, the Dr. Seuss Experience delivered magic in spades.
This Toronto-based exhibit opened its doors back in October. I must admit, the initial popularity and "do it for the gram" hype made me skeptical. As a consumer of the books, and often a popular bedtime choice with my kids, I wondered if the experience would live up to the ridiculously fun tales. Thanks to a 25% discount offered on Valentine's Day, we decided to see what all the hype was about. With my imaginative kids in tow, off I went to the Dr. Seuss Experience!
I was immediately impressed by the well planned flow of the exhibit. The foyer was large with well informed employees eager to point you in the right direction. We easily found coatcheck, and mentally bookmarked the washrooms, cafe/snack area and gift shop for later. We were instantly drawn to all the Dr. Seuss details as we approached the front of the exhibit.
Before heading into the immersive area, we were greeted by the Cat in The Hat. At this point, my skepticism was subsiding and I may have been secretly the most excited about the rest of our day!
And now onto the main attraction - the immersive world of Dr. Seuss! The exhibit takes guests through nine different rooms based on nine of Seuss' books. Guests are given a stamp after each room's exploration, making it feel like a passport voyage through each storybook.
First up, the balloon-filled maze from Oh, The Places You'll Go! The kids loved navigating through the maze while soaking in the vibrant burst of colours. The visual appeal was on point, and my phone camera was officially on the job!
"You're off to
Great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain
is waiting, so...
Get on your way!"
- Dr. Seuss, Oh The Places You'll Go!
Out of the maze and into Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? The room captured all the gadgets and rickety structures in the book, and immediately caught the eyes of my 5 year-old who loves to explore how things work.
"Suppose, just suppose,
you were poor Herbie Hart,
Who has taken his
Throm-dim-bu-lator apart!"
- Dr. Seuss, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
Next up was There's a Wocket in my Pocket! The kids bounced through the room in search of all the wockets. Can you spot them?
From wockets to clovers, we entered the whimsical field in Horton Hears a Who! If you stand close to enough to the oversized clovers, you may just hear a surprise. The kids certainly tried...
"And clover, by clover,
by clover with care,
he picked up and searched them,
and called "Are you there?"
- Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who!
The tranquility of the clover field quickly turned into carnival fanfare as we entered If I Ran The Circus. We stepped right up and felt like we were part of the show. Introducing...
In my opinion, what followed was the most majestic room of all - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! This was definitely the highlight of our experience, as the kids fished for gifts, measured on the love scale and spotted all the whimsy details in Whoville.
We pried ourselves away from Whoville and into The Lorax. The fluffy Truffula Trees instantly drew us into another Dr. Seuss wonder.
"Unless someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to
get better.
It's not."
- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Out of the Truffula Trees and into the messiness of the Cat in the Hat! This room was a real gem and truly encapsulated the fun of the book. The Cat, himself, even made a special appearance while we were exploring the room.
We ended our tour with a private entrance into The Sneetches. We marvelled at our exciting day as we stood mirror-to-mirror among life-like sneetches.
"That day, all the Sneetches
forgot about stars
And whether they had one,
or not, upon thars."
- Dr. Seuss, The Sneetches
Overall, our day at the Dr. Seuss Experience exceeded my expectations and was worth the pricey tickets. Every room offered an interactive experience and highlighted the fantastical nature of the Dr. Seuss series. Whether or not your child consumes the books, the imaginative and exploratory features of the exhibit will draw them in (and adults too!) My skepticism was converted...and I'm a fan!
I'm also a sucker for a good gift shop...
Lastly, a few tips and tricks if you want to check this out before it ends in March:
Food & drink isn't allowed once inside the immersive area, but we packed snacks for later once we were in the gift shop area. A handful of little tables and chairs are set up for kids to colour outside the exhibit. We spent a good chunk of time here before we exited. (If your kids are like mine, it's a process to leave!)
Strollers aren't allowed inside the immersive area, but you can leave them at the coatcheck area (safe & sound.)
Make sure you have room on your phone to take pictures, or bring a pro camera. It's well worth the visual memories!
Dr. Seuss Experience is currently offering 30% off the last two Thursdays of February.
Weekdays are less busy, and probably even better during nap times! (For those who don't have napping children.)
Hope you enjoyed this peek inside our exciting day at the Dr. Seuss Experience. In the words of Dr. Seuss...
As always, happy reading!