Dr. Seuss Memorial

The Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden is a sculpture garden at the Quadrangle in Springfield, Massachusetts, which honors Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, who was born in Springfield in 1904.^[1] The monument was designed by Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, the author's stepdaughter, and created by sculptor and artist Ron Henson.^[2][3]

History

Halfway through her Masters program, Diamond-Cates was approached by Joseph Carvalho and former Museums chairman Thomas Wheeler to help design a memorial for her step-father. She accepted, and spent six and a half years designing and creating the project.^[4]

The sculpture garden opened 1 June 2002.^[5] The opening ceremony was attended by Geisel's relatives including his widow Audrey Geisel and senator Ted Kennedy.^[5][6]

The adjacent The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum includes an exhibit on the sculpture garden's creation.^[7]

Statues

The sculpture garden features five large bronze statues:

• Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat: The title character of The Cat in the Hat standing alongside Dr. Seuss at his desk.
• The Storyteller: A chair placed in front of a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) book with the text of Oh, the Places You'll Go!, the title character from Gertrude McFuzz, and beside it, the Grinch and his dog, Max.
• Horton Court: Horton the Elephant from Horton Hears a Who! steps out of an open book accompanied by various ancillary characters from other Dr. Seuss stories, including Thing 1 and Thing 2 from The Cat in the Hat.
• The Lorax: The titular character from The Lorax stands on a tree stump with the book's refrain: Unless... This statue is located in front of the Springfield Science Museum, which features exhibits on global warming and environmental science.
• Yertle the Turtle: a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) tower of turtles, from Yertle the Turtle, which introduces visitors to the Quadrangle from the arch on Chestnut Street.^[3]

References

42°06′13.32″N 72°35′11.08″W / 42.1037000°N 72.5864111°W / 42.1037000; -72.5864111