Sesame Place
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amusement parks |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Sesame Workshop (licensor) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Owner | United Parks & Resorts (through licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop) |
Sesame Place is a chain of theme parks inspired by the children's educational television series Sesame Street. Within the United States, the parks are owned and managed by United Parks & Resorts through an exclusive licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street. The inaugural park, Sesame Place Philadelphia, began operations in 1980, followed by the opening of Sesame Place San Diego in 2022.
History
Initially, the parks were under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch via its subsidiary United Parks & Resorts. Following the 2008 merger between Anheuser-Busch and InBev that resulted in Anheuser-Busch InBev, the theme park division was sold. In 2009, The Blackstone Group acquired the parks. During Blackstone’s stewardship, Sesame Street-themed children’s zones were incorporated into Busch Gardens and SeaWorld locations. The introduction of "Sesame Street Land" at SeaWorld Orlando in 2019 marked the full integration of the brand across prominent parks.
Sesame Place Philadelphia
As the first U.S. theme park dedicated exclusively to Sesame Street, Sesame Place Philadelphia opened its doors in 1980.
Sesame Place (Texas)
The second park opened in Irving, Texas, in June 1982, developed on a 30.3-acre site near State Highway 183 with an investment of $10 million. Unlike its Pennsylvania counterpart, most attractions were housed indoors. Due to financial losses and a decline in visitor numbers, it ceased operations in October 1984 and permanently closed in January 1985.
Tokyo Sesame Place
Debuting on October 10, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo Sesame Place was the first international Sesame Street theme park outside the United States. Owned by Tokyotokeiba Co. Ltd., which also operates the nearby Tokyo Summerland water park, it functioned independently from the U.S.-based Sesame Street parks.
Smaller than its American equivalents, this park offered simple playgrounds and child-friendly rides arranged on an elevated platform. Guests entered through a steep escalator that led directly into Big Bird's mouth.
In September 2006, Tokyo Summerland announced plans to close the park due to changing business conditions and restructuring efforts. The park officially shut down on December 31, 2006. Although redevelopment was initially planned for this area within Tokyo Summerland, as of 2024, the site remains unused.
Sesame Place San Diego
A fourth Sesame Place location was announced in 2017 with an expected opening by mid-2021. In 2019, Aquatica San Diego near San Diego, California was selected as the site for this new park. However, construction delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic postponed its launch until March 2022.
Parque Plaza Sesamo
Established in 1994 in Monterrey, Mexico, Parque Plaza Sesamo is themed around the Mexican adaptation Plaza Sésamo and ranks among Latin America's most visited theme parks, attracting roughly 1.2 million guests annually.
After closing for two years, on May 18, 2022, it reopened under a new name—Parque Fiesta Aventuras—for the 2022 season. This rebranding likely indicated that its license to use Plaza Sésamo branding and characters had ended.
The park permanently ceased operations following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Universal Studios Japan
Within Universal Wonderland at Universal Studios Japan, visitors can explore an area dedicated to Sesame Street.
Sésamo Aventura
Located in Salou, Spain, PortAventura Park introduced Sésamo Aventura, a section inspired by Sesame Street, which opened in 2011.