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Sure, it’s a long way to the top, but once you get there, the view can’t be beat. On a clear day, Mr. Weidner can see for over 300 miles in all directions. There are several thoughts as to why the house kept “growing.” Some versions of the story claim that when the house was originally built, it had a fabulous view of Denali. However, the construction is said to have begun right after a forest fire; thus, the trees were all short with new growth. As time progresses, the view was impeded by the maturing trees.
The Adorably Whimsical ‘Deer Train’ Transports Visitors to Japan’s Famed Nara Park
Deep in the woods of Alaska, there sits a house that locals fondly refer to as the “Dr. Seuss’ House.” One glimpse and you can immediately see why the house gained that appropriate label. The house has a 185-foot-tall skinny tower that resembles layers atop of a wedding cake. The top certainly offers a unique perspective on Alaska, with 360-degree views of (on a clear day) Denali, the Homer Spit, and the start of the Aleutian chain. The owner considers it “a poem to the sky.” He just doesn’t know when it will be finished.
The Cat Mayor of Talkeetna
As Weidner is one of the top trial lawyers in Alaska, he has a hard time finding time to work on it. He says though, when he is done, he and his family will enjoy the tower. Most of all, he will sit up top and watch the Northern Lights. The stories you’ve heard are bizarre, far-fetched, and have become almost legendary over the past decade… but they are all are wrong. Mr. Weidner didn’t set out to build a fantastic, fictional place… he wasn’t even planning to create Goose Creek Tower (the structure’s TRUE name) as it stands today. In fact, not much at all was known about the house—not even the owner—until reporters from local station KTVA started looking into it.
Private Property
As one of the top trial lawyers in Alaska, Weidner had a difficult time finding time to work on it. The home is sadly abandoned now, but apparently has a new owner that is planning to renovate it. The result is a 12-story tower that looks like a bunch of mini homes teetering on top of each other, a truly amazing sight in an otherwise uninhabited area. The reason you can see all the mountains across the Inlet is because of their height. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.
Alaska's Dr. Seuss House is a whimsical tower made of stacked cabins
Meg Archer is an Editor & Newsletter Editor who has called Oregon home for nearly 30 years. She spent her childhood exploring the mountains, forests, and high desert of Central Oregon before relocating to Portland after a brief stint out-of-state for college. Meg has worked in writing, editing, and media-related fields for over 10 years and joined the team at OnlyInYourState in 2015.
Weidner said once the building is finished, he may open up the outside for visitors to come and see. The 185-foot-tall (56-metre-tall) structure looks like several houses stacked atop each other, which it basically is. Weidner started with the original 40-by-40-foot (12-by-12-metre) log cabin and then realised he could construct pillars that would allow him to put another house on top.
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Initially, this home was planned to be a 40 x 40 foot log cabin. Just how did this eclectic MIT alumni and self-described “frustrated architect” construct this private home as a series of stacked houses placed one on top of another? The higher the house reached, the smaller the floors become… and the more they looked as though they are randomly and haphazardly placed one atop of another. The previous owner spent a decade adding floors, but when he died abruptly, the tower was abandoned for 10 years.
In order to keep the view he loved, Weidner realized that he had to keep building taller and taller. The owner built the house after a forest fire, and originally it had views of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. But when the trees recovered, he lost his view, prompting him to add more and more stories until it became the 12-story tower it is now. Weidner did originally only plan on building a two-story log cabin, then he let his mind (and engineering degree) take over.
Dr. Seuss House - Video, Photos and The Story
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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.
Going up: The 'Dr Seuss House' in Alaska has topped out at 56 metres - Stuff
Going up: The 'Dr Seuss House' in Alaska has topped out at 56 metres.
Posted: Wed, 22 Feb 2017 08:00:00 GMT [source]
But he built right after a forest fire, so all of the trees were small. As the trees grew taller, he would add another level to see the mountain. As the story goes, the owner originally built the home to get a good view of Denali(Mt. McKinley), American’s tallest mountain. The story behind it is that the owner originally built the house with a view of Denali/Mt. He happened to build it right after a forest fire though, so the trees were all short, new growth.
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 house remains an oddity that visitors to the small town can view from the road, but it is no longer open for explorers. In an odd turn of architectural fate, the Geisel Library at San Diego State University by William Pereirais named for Dr. Seuss. It is one of the classic 1960s American campus Brutalist treasures, with Seussian, gravity-defying concrete levels that expand outward toward the sky. The closest that architects have come to actually making the architecture Dr. Seuss might be husband and wife artist duo Arakawa and Gins. Dr. Seuss was inspired by architecture, and it is rumored that his famous Whoville is based on the Massachusetts town of Easthampton and nearby Mt. Tom. However, he also inspired many amateur designers, including many treehouse designs, from the simple to the fantastic.
The home’s original creator, builder, and owner, Phillip Weidner, originally planned on building a two-story log cabin. However, quickly the knowledge he gained from his engineering degree got ahead of him. One floor was added, and then another and another… more and more ladders and staircases were constructed and now, depending on how you choose to arrive at the top, there are somewhere between 14 and 17 floors. The project started as a two-story cabin, but once he got started, Mr. Weidner let his mind (and engineering degree) take over.
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The major building is finished, but it’ll take a while before the interior is done and the building is habitable. Weidner said he’d like to make the first few floors rooms for his family to stay in. The house is not complete and is on private property that is monitored. But if you take a ride on the Alaskan railroad through Talkeetna you’ll get an amazing view. You can also see it briefly from the highway but it is gone in a second, so be on the lookout.
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