Although families on the East Coast have been enjoying Sesame Place since 1980, those of us living on the West Coast will finally learn how to get to Sesame Street when the new Sesame Place San Diego park opens on March 26, 2022.

Sesame Street characters have had a presence at all of the SeaWorld parks for some time now, but this year, the folks and monsters that live there will be welcoming guests to their 17-acre home next door to SeaWorld. (No word yet if the Muppets there will be packing up any time soon.)

Perfect for families with kids of all ages, the park will be open year-round with Sesame Street-themed rides and attractions that whirl, twirl, soar, and spin. Guests will enjoy 18 Sesame Street-themed rides, and fun exciting water attractions, including a kid-friendly rollercoaster and a 500,000-gallon wave pool – one of the largest in Southern California. The park will also feature a musical play area, an interactive Sesame Street Neighborhood complete with the iconic 123 Stoop, daily live character shows, award-winning parades, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities and of course, everyone’s favorite furry friends.

“This is an exciting milestone for our company, as this is the second Sesame Place in the United States and the first new theme park we’ve opened since 2013. We are thrilled to debut this new park and add a premiere tourist destination to California that is so appealing to families,” said Marc Swanson, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment CEO. “Having spent part of my career with this company at the original Sesame Place in Pennsylvania and being part of its success, I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy on the West Coast and providing a fun place to visit where life-long memories are created as fans experience what they love about the iconic show in a new way.”

“Since 1980, Sesame Place has been a key part of the Sesame Workshop extended family and mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder,” said Steve Youngwood, Sesame Workshop CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to introduce the West Coast’s only standalone theme park based entirely on the award-winning educational program, Sesame Street. Sesame Place San Diego will offer kids and families an immersive opportunity to play and learn with their favorite furry friends, and continue enriching their experiences with Sesame Street.”

Here’s What You’ll Find There

Interactive Play All Day
Upon entering the new theme park, guests will immediately be immersed into the Sesame Street Neighborhood, a colorful and charming replica of the well-known street complete with the iconic 123 Stoop. The Sesame Street Neighborhood provides a variety of physical and digital experiences where guests can connect to all of the fun, laughter, and learning of the world-famous street through interactive activities. Interactive offerings include:

• Elmo’s Window: Elmo’s bedroom window comes to life with special moments that allow guests to play, dance, and sing with Elmo and friends.
• Bike Shop Tricycle Challenge: a motion-sensing digital game where kids use their body to control a virtual tricycle as they collect numbers before time runs out.
• Sesame Street Apartment Intercom: guests can press the apartment number buttons to hear fun responses from Grover, Rosita, Abby Cadabby, and more.
• Sunny Day Carousel: a cute, colorful, classic ride that’s perfect for all ages. The go-around features Sesame Street characters, music, and horses along with Big Bird happily greeting fans and riding around and around at the bearing of the carousel.

Whirling Rides & Splashy Water Slides

Surrounding the neighborhood and throughout the park are a variety of exciting Sesame Street-themed rides and attractions, perfect for families with kids of all ages. Each ride was designed with a Sesame Street character in mind such as Cookie Climb, where guests pull themselves to the top of Cookie Monster-themed towers, Elmo’s Rockin’ Rockets, that flies up, down, and all around on an imaginary trip through outer space, Super Grover’s Box Car Derby, a family-friendly roller coaster full of fun hills, big turns, and mini-dives, plus many more rides to choose from.

In addition, upcoming park visitors can plan now to pack their swimsuits to splish and splash all day long in heated pools and on water slides, including Bert’s Topsy Turvy Tunnels, Snuffy’s Spaghetti Slides, and Oscar’s Rotten Rafts, plus Big Bird’s Beach, a family-friendly, 500,000-gallon wave pool surrounded by a sandy beach, and Big Bird’s Rambling River, a relaxing, fun-filled innertube adventure with bubbling, swirling waters and splashy waterfalls. The little ones will be counting down the days until fun in the sun at The Count’s Splash Castle, a multi-level, interactive, water play attraction with a 500-gallon water bucket drop.

Certified Autism Center

Sesame Place has partnered with The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), a global leader in online training and certification programs, to be designated as a Certified Autism Center (CAC). Sesame Place Team Members will receive specialized training to ensure they have the requisite knowledge, skills, temperament, and expertise to cater to all children, including those with autism and special needs. Training focuses include sensory awareness, motor skills, autism overview, program development, social skills, communication, environment, and emotional awareness.