UC San Diego selling home of Dr. Seuss. See ocean views from of his La Jolla estate
UC San Diego has put the La Jolla home where the late Theodor Geisel wrote many of his beloved Dr. Seuss children’s books up for sale for nearly $12 million.
The 5,000-square-foot home sits on 1.51 acres on Mount Soledad with 270-degree views of the ocean, coastline and mountains in San Diego, California.
“This property is arguably one of the most spectacular ocean, coastline and mountain view sites on the West Coast,” Jason Barry of Barry Estates, which holds the listing, told the Sacramento Bee in an email. “It truly is one of a kind, having not been available in 75 years, offering a home and three contiguous lots. When its gone, its gone.”
The price tag for the entire four-parcel estate is $18.995 million, which includes the home ($11.995 million), two lots of nearly an acre each for $4.495 million and a .59-acre lot for $3.995 million, according to Barry Estates. The listing for all parcels went live June 27, 2022.
The university received the property from the Geisel Trust in 2019.
“7301 Encelia Drive was the long-time home of Audrey and Theodor Geisel, famously known as Dr. Seuss,” UC San Diego said in a statement. “The property was gifted to the university. When this property is sold, the net proceeds from the sale will create the Geisel Fund in the UC San Diego Foundation, which will be an endowment. Per the wishes of the donor, the Chancellor will determine the use of the payout from the endowed fund for campus needs.”
Audrey Geisel was a big supporter of UCSD, according to the Los Angeles Times. Her donation of $20 million helped expand the college’s main library and led to the building being renamed Geisel Library, the newspaper reported. She died in 2018.
Theodor Geisel, who died in 1991, wrote the children’s classics “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Green Eggs and Ham,” to name a few.
“When you are at the pinnacle of success, it only makes sense you would want one of the most spectacular properties in the world,” according to the property listing for the red-tiled Mediterranean-style hillside compound.
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 12:01 PM.
