SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Museums are planning to celebrate Dr. Seuss' 122nd birthday with an all-day family festival on Saturday.
The late Theodor Geisel -- who was born and raised in Springfield -- would have turned 122 on March 2. He died in 1991.
His 122nd birthday comes months after a new Dr. Seuss manuscript was discovered in the archives of UC San Diego's Geisel Library in October. "Sing The 50 United States!" will be published by Random House Children's Books in June and will include excerpts and sketches from Giesel's original manuscript, as well as a map of the United States.
According to a press release from Random House, "'Sing The 50 United States!' invites readers to learn and name all fifty states together with the iconic Cat in the Hat and two Little Cat helpers. To sing the 50 United States, you have to use your brain. Massachusetts. Minnesota. Missouri and Montana. M-i-s-s-Mississippi. Maryland! Michigan and Maine!"
In Springfield, the city where Geisel was born and raised, staff at the Dr. Seuss Museum are busy putting the finishing touches on a party that upholds the author's legacy and hopes to inspire a joy of reading in today's youth.
"We celebrate Dr. Seuss in style at the Museums," said Larissa Murray, the Museums' Director of Education, in an email.
The all-day birthday celebration will take place on the Museum grounds on Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities are free with Museum admission and will take place rain, shine, or snow.
The day's activities will include a meet and greet with the Cat in the Hat from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Big Bubbles with Mr. Vinny from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Ballon Animals with Professor Knows A Lot from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; "Oh, the Places You'll Go" Passport Project from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Celebrate with Cupcakes from noon-4 p.m., while supplies last; and hands-on art activities and games all day long.
While the birthday activities will be open to all visitors, timed entry to the Dr. Seuss Museum will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Welcome Center. Those who wish to explore the Dr. Seuss Museum in its entirety -- including interactive exhibits like the giant marble maze, Seuss bakery, and Lorax recycling game -- are encouraged to arrive early to secure their preferred entry time.
Admission to the Dr. Seuss Museum, which includes entry to all of the Springfield Museums, is $25 adults, $17.50 seniors 60 and older, $16.50 college students, $13 youth ages 3 to 17, and free for children under 3. Springfield residents with ID, including youth, are admitted free.
For more information on the Dr. Seuss birthday party celebration, and current exhibits at the Dr. Seuss Museum, go online to springfieldmuseums.org/about/dr-seuss-museum/.
