Oh, the places you’ll go, indeed.
For generations, Dr. Seuss has invited readers to journey into wonderfully strange places filled with unusual creatures, impossible architecture and more than a few characters who seem perfectly comfortable ignoring the laws of physics.
Now, some of those worlds could become places families can actually visit.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises is partnering with experience design company P&P Projects to develop new theme park concepts inspired by Dr. Seuss properties across Europe and Asia-Pacific. The collaboration, brokered by WildBrain CPLG, will explore how some of the author’s most recognizable stories and characters could be transformed into destination-based entertainment experiences.
And there is certainly no shortage of colorful worlds to work with.
Under the agreement, P&P Projects has the rights to design and develop concepts based on Dr. Seuss brands including “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and, rather appropriately, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” among others.
The companies will use those properties to explore potential theme park experiences for operators, developers and investors looking to build destination entertainment around established characters and stories. The agreement covers Europe and Asia-Pacific, excluding China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
While that means there isn’t a specific Dr. Seuss theme park destination to start packing your bags for just yet, the possibilities presented by the partnership are certainly interesting.
Dr. Seuss stories have always had a visual language uniquely suited to escaping the page. Twisting buildings, brightly colored landscapes, strange machines and characters ranging from the mischievous Cat in the Hat to the famously grouchy Grinch have helped make these books instantly recognizable for generations of readers. Translating those ideas into physical spaces opens the door for families to do something different with stories they may already know by heart: step inside them.
The timing also comes as Dr. Seuss Enterprises prepares for several major milestones.
A new animated “The Cat in the Hat” movie arrives this year, while both “The Cat in the Hat” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” will celebrate their 70th anniversaries in 2027. Then, in 2028, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” is set to make its big-screen debut.
Together, those projects are creating a new wave of activity around stories that have already endured for decades, and location-based entertainment could provide another way for those characters to reach families beyond books and movies.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises President and CEO Susan Brandt said location-based entertainment presents an opportunity for the company to expand how audiences engage with its characters and stories while creating memorable family destinations.
P&P Projects Chief Commercial Officer Ifat Caspi similarly pointed to the imaginative nature of Dr. Seuss as a strong foundation for immersive experiences, while WildBrain CPLG Vice President of Global Location-Based Entertainment Evi Sari highlighted the range of possibilities offered by properties including “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
And those three stories alone could make for some very different places to explore.
For now, the partnership is focused on developing concepts and creating opportunities for potential operators and developers rather than announcing a specific park, location or opening date.
Still, there is something rather fitting about Dr. Seuss Enterprises looking toward theme parks at this particular moment. These are stories that have spent decades asking children to imagine places unlike anything in the ordinary world.
Perhaps someday, families won’t have to imagine quite so hard.
After all, with Dr. Seuss, there’s really no telling where you’ll go next.