A Towering Home in the Alaskan Wilderness Looks Like Something Right out of a Dr Seuss Book
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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.
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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.
Alaska’s Dr. Seuss House is a whimsical tower made of stacked cabins
Willow, Alaska's Goose Creek Tower - also known as the Dr. Seuss house, for obvious reasons - was built by a creative individual who wanted to have the best view possible of Denali. In fact, the owner wanted to be able to see the mountain so bad, that as the trees around the house got taller, so did the house. Now, the bizarre residence is considered to be one of the great architectural feats of America. Willow, Alaska’s Goose Creek Tower – also known as the Dr. Seuss house, for obvious reasons – was built by a creative individual who wanted to have the best view possible of Denali. The story behind it is that the owner originally built the house with a view of Denali/Mt. He happened to build it right after a forest fire though, so the trees were all short, new growth.
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It is one of the classic 1960s American campus Brutalist treasures, with Seussian, gravity-defying concrete levels that expand outward toward the sky. The closest that architects have come to actually making the architecture Dr. Seuss might be husband and wife artist duo Arakawa and Gins. Dr. Seuss was inspired by architecture, and it is rumored that his famous Whoville is based on the Massachusetts town of Easthampton and nearby Mt. Tom. However, he also inspired many amateur designers, including many treehouse designs, from the simple to the fantastic. As one of the top trial lawyers in Alaska, Weidner had a difficult time finding time to work on it. The home is sadly abandoned now, but apparently has a new owner that is planning to renovate it.
Alaska's Dr. Seuss House is a whimsical tower made of stacked cabins
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Located over 130 kilometers away from Anchorage city, the quirky 185-ft edifice known as Goose Creek Tower looks like a bunch of houses built on top of each other. 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. You could also get the best views hiring a bush pilot and flying overhead. The house is located in the Mat-Su Valley between Willow and Talkeetna. Deep in the woods of Alaska, there sits a house that locals fondly refer to as the “Dr. Seuss’ House.” One glimpse and you can immediately see why the house gained that appropriate label.
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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.
If you plan on visiting, keep in mind that although the house is virtually abandoned it’s still privately owned and thus on private property. A great way to see it is by driving past it, on a train, or take a ride with an Alaskan bush pilot, which in general is a great way to see the Alaskan countryside. The building is privately owned and the owner isn’t offering tours (it’s still a construction zone, so it’s not safe to enter), but it’s possible to see the house on the train heading north.
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.
The owner built the house after a forest fire, and originally it had views of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. But when the trees recovered, he lost his view, prompting him to add more and more stories until it became the 12-story tower it is now. Next time you are traveling deep in the Alaskan wilderness, keep an eye out for the house that looks like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.
The 185-foot-tall (56-metre-tall) structure looks like several houses stacked atop each other, which it basically is. Weidner started with the original 40-by-40-foot (12-by-12-metre) log cabin and then realised he could construct pillars that would allow him to put another house on top. Initially, this home was planned to be a 40 x 40 foot log cabin.
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