SeaWorld Entertainment and Sesame Workshop revealed San Diego as the new home to the second Sesame Place theme park, opening in spring 2021. 

SeaWorld Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organisation behind Sesame Street, revealed that San Diego will be the location of a new Sesame Place theme park. It will open in San Diego in spring 2021 and will be the first Sesame Place on the West Coast.

“As we celebrate Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary, we are excited to share the news of a major opportunity for kids and families to connect with and learn from the brand and its beloved characters,” said Steve Youngwood, president, Media & Education and chief operating officer, Sesame Workshop. “The opening of Sesame Place San Diego will give guests a unique and powerful way to experience Sesame Street, enable us to connect with even more families, and further our educational mission.”

Sesame Place San Diego will feature all the fun, laughter, and learning of Sesame Street in a highly immersive way, with family rides, water slides, live character shows, parades and interactive experiences. The original Sesame Place, currently the only US theme park based entirely on the iconic children’s programme, opened outside Philadelphia in July 1980 and has been a premier destination for families countrywide for nearly 40 years.

Marc Swanson, Interim chief executive officer, SeaWorld Entertainment added: “We share Sesame Workshop’s goal of educating and entertaining generations of children, and the opening of a second park, the only one of its kind on the West Coast, furthers our company mission to provide guests with extraordinary experiences. We are thrilled to be able to grow the presence of Sesame Place theme parks in the United States, and San Diego is the perfect complement to our Philadelphia location.”

Sesame Place San Diego will open as a Certified Autism Center (CAC), mirroring the Philadelphia park, which was the first theme park in the world to achieve this designation. Staff-wide autism sensitivity and awareness training will be completed prior to the park’s debut, and robust pre-visit planning resources, including a park-specific sensory guide will be featured on its website. Designated quiet spaces with adjustable lighting and comfortable seating will be incorporated into the park’s design.

Sesame Place San Diego will be located on the site of the current Aquatica San Diego, establishing this new park as a premier tourist destination in the western United States.