Oh, the Places You'll Go to See Dr. Seuss's Final Home
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Dr. Seuss (aka, Theodor Geisel) owned a La Jolla, California, estate that is on the market for $19 million. It's for sale for the first time in 75 years.
The author wrote many of his beloved children's books at this property — which features whimsical shoutouts to his famous characters — but it wasn't always a smooth ride to success. Follow his journey from his humble beginnings in Springfield, Massachusetts, to his California estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Theodor Geisel's Modest Massachusetts Beginnings
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Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904. There, his father managed a brewery and later became a supervisor in the city's public park system. Young Theodor fell in love with storytelling and drawing while working for his high school newspaper.
The modest home on Fairfield Street where Geisel grew up still stands today and is now part of the Springfield Museums. Restoration for the home, where Theodor drew prototypes of his characters on his bedroom walls, began in earnest in 2019.
Dartmouth College and the Birth of Seuss
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After high school, Geisel attended Dartmouth College, where he worked for The Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern college humor magazine and eventually became its editor-in-chief. However, he and his friends were caught drinking on campus; as this was during Prohibition, the school forced him to resign from all extracurricular activities, which included the magazine.
But he wouldn't give up that easily — he stayed on the publication and signed his work under the nom de plume "Seuss."
Attending Lincoln College in Oxford
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After graduating from Dartmouth in 1925, he entered Lincoln College, Oxford, with the intention of getting a philosophy doctorate in English literature, but fate had other plans.
It was here he met Helen Palmer, who would become his first wife. It was she who encouraged him to pivot from an English teaching career to illustration.
Geisel Becomes a New York City Ad Man
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Just after college in 1927, Geisel and his wife moved to New York City where he became an illustrator for various publications and ads.
One of his most well-known accounts was Flit, a bug spray manufactured by Standard Oil; the campaign's catchphrase "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" became part of pop culture vernacular and increased his demand and wealth tenfold.
His first book, "Boners," topped The New York Times non-fiction bestseller list in 1931. However, his subsequent attempts at writing books failed to interest any publishers.
It was only through an old Dartmouth connection that he would finally publish "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," after nearly 40 rejections, in 1937.
Settling in La Jolla
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Geisel served in and drew political cartoons during WWII. After the war, he and his wife settled in La Jolla in an estate that is now on the market for the first time in 75 years.
It was in this home that he wrote the classics he's known for: "Horton Hear's a Who!," "Green Eggs and Ham" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" among others.
The Home Features Touches of His Characters
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The main home on the Seuss property is over 5,000 square feet, with four bedrooms and five bathrooms, and it features touches of his whimsical characters around the property. (For example, there's another nod to the "Cat in the Hat" at the bottom of the pool where his bow tie is etched.)
The home remains unaltered from Geisel's days in it and comes complete with the original corkboard walls. Sprawled out on a 4-acre hilltop, it features stunning views of the city and Pacific Ocean.
The Influence of La Jolla on His Work
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Geisel and first wife built the property themselves around an old observation tower that he would continue to use as his office.
The author used elements of his adopted town as inspiration for his books. A lone Monterey cypress in nearby Ellen Browning Scripps Park was the blueprint for the Lorax (Truffala) tree. In the "Cat in the Hat," a high-strung orange fish is a nod to Southern California's colorful Garibaldi fish.
A USC Donation
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After the author's death in 1991, the Geisel Trust owned the property, which sat vacant for decades with all its original touches intact.
Geisel’s widow and second wife, Audrey, founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises in 1993 to manage his estate. A staunch philanthropist, she donated his drawings and manuscripts along with millions of dollars to UC San Diego, where the Geisel Library stands today.
The Home's Final Sale and Proceeds
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After Audrey's passing in 2018, the trust gave the house to UC San Diego. In 2022, the college announced its sale with the money going to future campus projects under its Geisel Fund.
The property is currently priced at $19 million; however, it can be divided into smaller parcels.