Goose Creek Tower – Alaska’s whimsical Dr. Seuss house
THE Alaskan wilderness is home to many natural wonders but also an unusual man-made structure that appears to have jumped right out of the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. Located over 130 kilometers away from Anchorage city, the quirky 185-ft edifice known as Goose Creek Tower looks like a bunch of houses built on top of each other.
This strange tourist attraction was built after a forest fire created a natural clearing among the trees, midway between Willow and Talkeetna.
This particular spot apparently offers a beautiful view of Denali – North America’s highest mountain peak – and it’s this detail that explains, at least in part, the strange design of Goose Creek Tower.
It started off as a singlestorey house, but as the forest started growing back after the fire, owner Phil Weidner began adding additional floors just so he could enjoy the picturesque view from the windows, over the canopy. The completed structure is so reminiscent of the illustrated Dr. Seuss stories by Theodore LeSieg, that locals fondly refer to it as the ‘Dr. Seuss House’.
Goose Creek Tower was built in the late 90’s, but after its completion, Weirdner decided to take some time away from the project, so the house was virtually abandoned and empty. During this period, it was visited by thousands of Dr. Seuss fans who were eager to look inside and take pictures of themselves standing next to it. Of course, the observatory at the top served as a bonus attraction.
Last year, Weidner announced he was once again working on his Dr. Seuss House. Although the major construction is finished, including electrical and plumbing, he plans to work on the interiors for the next couple of years. The eccentric owner has promised that the tower will be open to the public again once it’s ready, but requests that people stay away for now.
“It’s a construction zone and it’s just too dangerous,” he explained.
Phil plans to live in the ground level of Goose Creek Tower, at least part time, once it is completed, and also make it available to visitors.