Sesame Place Amusement Park

[GelflingWaldo]

I have visited Sesame Place amusement park several times. I went as a kid four years after it opened. Since I visited several time as a kid, and recently took my younger cousins (this was really just an excuse to go again). It is an awesome water park, with fun rides for all ages, exciting show, attractions, and so much more.

I have pictures of me in front of 123 Sesame Street, in Big Bird's nest, in Oscar's can, and all kinds of other cool sesame things. When I was much younger I participated in a live show where audience members act in a show that later gets real Muppets blue-screened in to the video with you. I have a copy of the tape and it is priceless (a video of me Bert, Ernie, Elmo, Grover, Oscar and Big Bird). In my latest visit to Longhorn, PA and the park, I check the shops in the for exclusive merchandise, and do they have some cool stuff (a lot of which I now have). The hedges shaped like the characters all over the park, the characters walking around, music playing, and the whole atmosphere is just awesome. The park is full of magic, and is a ton of fun! Never did I think I would ever walk down Sesame Street, but here you not only can walk down it, you can go in and explore it. In the 20 years since I first went, the park has changed a lot...it's even better than I remember!

Has anyone else been to Sesame Place? Any stories to share? Questions to ask? Information to swap? Sesame Place is on of the best family parks that I've been to in a long time.

 

[Vic Romano]

Definately a very awesome place, I'm glad you took the intiative as an adult to go back, that's inspired me to go back! I haven'y been there for over a decade and my friends and siblings are always saying we're gonna' go back. I also went when it first opened and my buddy and I always joke with saying: "I remember that place when it was a giant air mattress and a ball pit!" Very very cool place though, and all you reading this, if you haven't been there, it is very cool, and LOTS of cool stuff to buy too!

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

I didnt even realise there was a sesame street amusment park! it sounds good. how long has it been around and where is it? What is it like?

 

[King Jim]

I didnt even realise there was a sesame street amusment park! it sounds good. how long has it been around and where is it? What is it like?

What is it like?

 

[Phillip]

Sesame Place originally opened around 1980. There were multiple parks at the time. I went to the one in Dallas during the early eighties. There is only one park now though in Philadelphia. Brian Henson and Bill Barretta originally met at Sesame Place doing clean-up work.

Many fans have visited so feel free to ask any questions.

http://www.sesameplace.com

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

Sounds like a good place for muppet central meetups. I havent been there so dont know what its like!

 

[Bean Bunny]

Phil,

Do you know why the Texas park closed?

 

[Phillip]

I assume they closed it in the middle-to-late eighties due to competition. In the Dallas area there was Six Flags and White Water around the same period of time. I have no idea how many Sesame Place parks were open around the country during its heyday though.

One of the best things about Sesame Place in the early eighties was just the amazing Muppet store. They not only sold Sesame stuff but all of the Classic Muppet items as well. I only went there a few times, but I remember seeing the entire Sigma collection in person, some posters of Jim and the Muppets, all the dolls and puppets from that era, and all the Sesame Street and Muppet records. I'm sure there were all kinds of treasures there that I would appreciate so much more as an adult.

They had a replica set of Sesame Street and Hooper's Store that was pretty accurate. You could perform an Oscar puppet behind his can. Most of the rides were themed for the younger kids (12 and below), but everywhere you went Sesame Muppets were featured including walk-around characters not unlike what you see at the Sesame Street Live shows produced by VEE Entertainment.

 

[Bean Bunny]

Thanks, Phil.

My Cousins went to Texas, when they were younger and I remeber they went to Sesame Place when it was brand new. I wish that I could have went when I was younger. Oh well, maybe I will head up to the other park with my cousin, his wife, and his young son. But he is probably too young right now since he is only two months old.

 

[guysmiley4ever]

hey cool! I still have a brochure from Sesame Place, got it a couple years ago.
It looks really fun, but we never got over there yet.
We had stopped in Pennsylvania and found the info there.
I'd never knew that it existed and till now forgotten about it.
That would be much more fun than Six flags!
I remember in the pictures, there's a giant Bert, Ernie, and Elmo walking around.
They all looked to be the same size as Big Bird!