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Springfield Museums, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Name: Springfield Museums, Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Start: 2023-03-04T10:00:00-05:00
End: 2023-03-04T17:00:00-05:00
Location: Springfield Museums

March 4 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm EST

Here for the Party: Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration

Join us for an all-day salute to beloved children’s author and Springfield-native Theodor Seuss Geisel on his 119th birthday. Springfield native Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss was born March 2, 1904.

The Springfield Museums present Here for the Party: Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration, Saturday, March 4, from 10 am to 5 pm, rain, shine, or snow.

Visitors will have opportunities to meet costume characters of the Cat in the Hat as well as Thing 1 and Thing 2. As with all family programing at the Springfield Museums, Family Fun days like the annual Dr. Seuss Birthday celebration mix fun with learning.

Free with museum admission!

Please note that while the birthday activities will be open to all visitors, timed entry to the Dr. Seuss Museum is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day of the event in the Welcome Center. Arrive early to secure desired entry time.

Parking Information

Reserve Tickets

Note: Springfield Museums members must sign in for admission discount. If you would like to purchase a ticket using one of our many discounts, a reciprocal membership or gift certificate, you will need to do this transaction in person on the day of your visit at the Welcome Center. Advance ticket sales are at full-price only.

Character Meet and Greets

The Cat in the Hat, 11-11:30 am & 2:30-3:00 pm
Science Workshop Lower Level, Springfield Science Museum

The Grinch, 11 am-1 pm & 2-4 pm
Canavan Gallery, Second Floor, GWV Smith Art Museum

Thing 1 and Thing 2, 11 am-1 pm & 2-4 pm
MassMutual Hall, First Floor, Wood Museum of Springfield History

Entertainment

Giant Bubbles with Mr. Vinny, 10:30 am-3:30pm
Using wands he designed and constructed himself, Mr. Vinny will gather kids for a game of watch, chase, and pop the bubbles! (Quadrangle Green, weather permitting)

Roaming Magic with Pete & Chris Amusements, 11 am-3 pm
Join Pete and Chris Amusements as they perform magic tricks and get brains working with their selection of puzzles and games. (Various galleries, Springfield Science Museum)

Balloon Hats, 11 am-1 pm
Enhance your hair with a balloon hat made by Professor Knows A. Lot. (Quadrangle Green; rain location: Lower Level, Springfield Science Museum)

Airborne Comedians, 1 pm
Juggling comedy show. with Dan Foley and Joel Harris. Quad (Quadrangle Green; rain location: Davis Auditorium, Lower Level, D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts)

Music By DJ TJ, 11 am-3 pm
Let your hair down and dance to the beat! (Quadrangle Green; rain location: Tolman Hall, First Floor, Springfield Science Museum)

Ongoing Activities

Teeny Tiny Truffula Trees, 12-4 pm
Create a fuzzy mini tree inspired by The Lorax. (Art Discovery Center, Second Floor, GWV Smith Art Museum)

Seussian Salon, 11 am-3 pm
Get a wacky hair makeover from our Seussian stylists. (Discovery Lab, Lower Level, Springfield Science Museum)

Hair or Fur?, 11 am-3 pm
What’s the difference between hair and fur? Stop by this station to find out. (Mammal Hall, First Floor, Springfield Science Museum)

Fish and Wildlife, 11 am-3 pm
Visit our friends from US Fish and Wildlife Service to learn more about the environment. (Habitat Hall, First Floor, Springfield Science Museum)

Story Time with the Cat in the Hat, 12-12:30 pm & 2:30-3 pm
Join the Cat in the Hat for a special reading of the book that bears his name. (Science Workshop, Second Floor, Springfield Science Museum)

Live Animal Encounter, 11:30 am-2:30 pm
Come learn about the animals that call the Science Museum home. (Reptile Wall, Lower Level, Springfield Science Museum)

horton court seuss sculpture garden

Cat in The Hat Statue at Springfield Museums

Dr. Seuss

Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, wanted to engage children in reading that was exciting and fun, not like the old Dick and Jane primers most teachers in the 1950s used to teach reading to children. In order to create a new and better early reader, Geisel considered a list of words for beginning readers. After some contemplation, he decided to begin his story with the first two words that rhymed: “cat” and “hat.” The rest is history. Although The Cat in the Hat (1957) didn’t at first find favor with teachers—the cat was too mischievous, too zany—children loved it. Some said the book sold by “playground word of mouth” as children told other children how wonderful the page-turner was. In other words, Dr. Seuss revolutionized learning to read by making it FUN!

The Cat in the Hat also found acclaim with book reviewers. In 1957 New York Times writer Ellen Lewis Buell was impressed by the simple vocabulary and lively illustrations. “Beginning readers and parents who have been helping them through the dreary activities of Dick and Jane and other primer characters are due for a happy surprise,” she wrote.

The Cat in the Hat sold more than a million copies by its third year of publication and remains to this day among the top sellers for children’s books. Many of Dr. Seuss’s books remain on best seller lists, notably Green Eggs and Ham (1960); One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960); Dr.Seuss’s ABC (1963); and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! ( 1990).

https://www.seussinspringfield.org/who-dr-seuss

Details

Date:: March 4
Time:: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm EST
Website:: https://springfieldmuseums.org/program/hair-party-dr-seuss-birthday-celebration/

Venue

Springfield Museums; 21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA 01103 + Google Map
Phone:: (413) 263-6800; View Venue Website