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First Sesame Street theme park on West Coast opens in San Diego

Sesame Place San Diego
Sesame Place San Diego
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CHULA VISTA, Calif. — There's a lot of multi-generational excitement as Sesame Street will come to life in San Diego County’s South Bay.

SeaWorld’s Sesame Place San Diego in Chula Vista will be the only theme park on the West Coast-based on Sesame Street's world and characters.

The theme park couldn't be opening at a better time, with people emerging from pandemic boredom and itching for a new experience.

It's owned by SeaWorld and is the company's latest effort to move away from live animal shows, which had drawn worldwide criticism over its impact on whales and prompted profits to plunge, including at its San Diego park.

The park was built at the former site of SeaWorld's Aquatica San Diego water park, which closed in 2020.

The nearly 17-acre Sesame Place will include family-friendly thrill rides, parades, live shows, and character interactions.

Sesame Street-themed attractions and rides that twist, turn, and swirl will include:

  • Elmo’s Rockin’ Rockets let kids hop in one of Elmo’s rocket ships as they fly up, down, and all around on an imaginary trip through outer space
  • Sunny Day Carousel, a cute, colorful, classic ride that’s perfect for all ages
  • Cookie Climb puts kids in a cloud of cookie crumbs as they pull themselves to the top of Cookie Monster-themed towers and hang on tight for a giggling ride back down.
  • Sesame Street Soar & Spin lets guests choose their favorite furry friend’s balloon and go up high for a bird’s-eye view of the park.

For more information on rides, tickets, and season passes click here.

The new kid and family-focused theme park will compete with Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Legoland, and other theme parks in Southern California.

The first Sesame Place theme park opened outside Philadelphia more than 40 years ago.

Krista Summerville with KGTV first reported this story.