The childhood home of Theodor Geisel, better known as beloved children’s books author Dr. Seuss, is being purchased by the Springfield Museums. The museum announced on Monday that they were in the process of acquiring the house, adding that future uses for the home are currently being explored.

Located at 74 Fairfield Street in Springfield, MA, Geisel’s family lived in this home since he was four. It was in this Forest Park neighborhood house that Geisel first discovered his artistic skills and love for storytelling. Later in his career, Geisel would revisit his formative years in Springfield to draw inspiration for books like And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street, his first published work of children’s literature.

“And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” by Dr. Seuss drew inspiration from Springfield
Photo: Wikicommons

The home remained in the Geisel family’s hands from the first decade of the 1900s until the death of the author’s father in 1968. When the property became available this summer, the Dr. Seuss Foundation helped facilitate the purchase.

A rendering of the design for the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum’s “City Zoo Interactive Display.”
Photo: courtesy of Boston Globe/ Springfield Museums.

Springfield Museums Board of Trustees Chairman Samuel R. Hanmer stated, “The Springfield Museums are very excited to secure 74 Fairfield St., the childhood home of Dr. Seuss. We are just beginning to explore possible next steps … We plan to take time to fully consider the various possible uses for the house, while taking the necessary steps to properly secure the property in the short term.”

The Springfield Museums are already building a Dr. Seuss Museum in downtown Springfield. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss is set to open its doors in June 2016. But while the museum has yet to open, and the author’s childhood home won’t be made immediately accessible to the public, eager fans can still visit the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, which features three-dimensional figures from his most famous books, such as The Lorax and The Cat in the Hat.

Related Stories:

New, Priceless Dr. Seuss Children’s Book Found in Late Author’s Home

Long-Lost Dr. Seuss Book Tops Amazon Best Seller List

Offensively Racist Dr. Seuss Drawing Heads to Auction—Why?

The World’s First Dr. Seuss Museum Set to Open in Author’s Hometown of Springfield