A Towering Home in the Alaskan Wilderness Looks Like Something Right out of a Dr Seuss Book

Table Of Content

• Alaska's "Dr. Seuss House" is a real-life manifestation of the revered storyteller's Whoville
• The TRUE Story Behind Alaska's Legendary 'Dr. Seuss House'
• The Ultimate Road Trip Guide to Denali National Park
• Also on Colossal
• The 185-foot-tall log structure is called the Dr. Seuss House
• The Cat Mayor of Talkeetna

Photographer Jovell Rennie recently took some shots of the wondrous house, which looks like an appropriate spot for a Lorax to live. It sat abandoned for almost the same amount of time until a new owner came along and started to work on it. Weidner has been working on the project off and on since the late ‘90s (he’s a lawyer in Anchorage, which keeps him busy).

Alaska's "Dr. Seuss House" is a real-life manifestation of the revered storyteller's Whoville

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.

The TRUE Story Behind Alaska's Legendary 'Dr. Seuss House'

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. 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 Ultimate Road Trip Guide to Denali National Park

When she’s not writing or exploring the West Coast, Meg enjoys playing tabletop games, working on visual media projects, and can always be found in the front row at Portland Timbers matches. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. This location is on private property and is presented for information purposes only. UnusualPlaces.org is your guide to quirky, weird, and beautiful places to visit around the world.

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. Turns out it was built by Phil Weidner, an Anchorage attorney. He also wants to put in a ham radio station, and broadcast what he calls Radio Free Goose Creek. It was abandoned for a while but now has a new owner who is working on renovations and, hopefully, some reinforcements too.

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Depending on how you look at it, and which ladders and staircases you climb to get to the top, there are somewhere between 14 and 17 floors. Near the small town of Telkeetna, Alaska, there is a house unlike any other. In Willow, Alaska, a now-abandoned 12-story house sits mysteriously in the middle of the wilderness outside of Anchorage.

Weidner also planned to sit on top and watch the Northern Lights. 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. Situated in the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska, the fantastical house is what most of us would describe as something we’ve seen in a Dr. Seuss book. Unlike anything Dr. Seuss wrote about, however, this “house is real, it’s not a fantasy” says Phillip Weidner, creator, builder, and owner of the towering home, which stands 185 feet high. 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.

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Renovations were then taken over a by a new occupant to add more stories, and the sky-piercing structure now comprises 12 floors that gradually taper in square footage. 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. The top of the tower offers 360-degree views and Weidner — who works as one of Alaska’s top trial attorneys — says it’s possible to see for a minimum of 300 miles. 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'd think the story behind this one-of-a-kind home would be a tall tale (har har), but it's actually not a figment of anyone's imagination. According to Colossal, the first owner of this Seussian cabin in Willow, Alaska, wanted to build a home with a view of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. But as the surrounding area recovered from a forest fire, the trees grew tall, and the only way to preserve the view was to go up. Weidner kept adding levels to what’s been nicknamed the Dr. Seuss House until he reached 185 feet.

As time progressed, his view was impeded, and he would build another level, eventually ending with the building you see here. The 360-degree views of the surrounding wilderness can be observed for up to 300 miles. Weidner had hoped that when the house construction was finished, the family would be able to enjoy the tower.

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. Seuss house,” is named after the legendary storyteller and illustrator himself. The brutalist structure features gravity-defying concrete levels extending from a tapered base.

The towering wooden structure resembles a stack of houses, each smaller than the next as it climbs toward the sky. The quirky tower is as weird and wonderful as Dr. Seuss’ unbuilt works, and the townspeople have named it Dr. Seuss House. It is on private property, but you see it by driving by or taking a helicopter tour. As the story goes, the owner originally built the home to get a good view of Denali (Mt. McKinley), American's tallest mountain.

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.