Popular Theme Park Announces It Is Abruptly Closing for Remainder of 2025

A popular theme park in California announced it is shutting down for the rest of the year and will be changing its schedule for subsequent years.

Sesame Place San Diego — one of two U.S.-based theme parks based on the beloved children’s show Sesame Street — announced that it will be shutting its doors for the remainder of 2025 following its last day of operation on Sunday, Sept. 20.

The theme park said it is planning to transition to a “seasonal schedule” where it will only open during its “most popular times of year,” including spring — which is when it plans to reopen for business. 

“By focusing on our most popular times of year, we can deliver the best possible experience from the moment guests arrive until the moment they leave,” Sesame Place San Diego said in a statement.

Sesame Place’s other location in the Philadelphia area will remain open year-round.

For the families who purchased a 2025 Season Pass that would allow them to access the park year-round, Sesame Place San Diego said it would provide them with “a complimentary SeaWorld Fun Card valid through the remainder of the year” to “ensure continued value” for their pass. 

“This added benefit offers unlimited admission to SeaWorld and access to seasonal events, including Halloween Spooktacular and Christmas Celebration,” Sesame Place San Diego said. 

The California theme park, which opened in 2022, features several rides and attractions, along with the Sesame Street neighborhood, which mirrors the set from the long-running children’s show. Parkgoers can eat at various restaurants around the property and interact with different beloved characters from the show, such as Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster, according to its website. 

Sesame Place San Diego’s Facebook post announcing the upcoming closure received more than 800 reactions and more than 450 comments. Some people were upset by the decision, with one writing that they were “planning a big trip for my son’s birthday at the end of October.”

Another commented: “My family planned to travel from out of state to attend the Halloween Spooktacular. How do you expect people to plan entire vacations around your posted operating schedule and pull the plug with less than two weeks’ notice?”

Yet another person wrote, “I am extremely disappointed. We were looking forward to going for Halloween and Christmas time,” before inquiring when the SeaWorld pass would “show up in our account.” 

In response, Sesame Place said, “The SeaWorld San Diego Fun Card will be redeemable through your online pass portal soon.”

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The news came several months after it was announced that Sesame Street would move to Netflix after Warner Bros. Discovery did not renew its agreement to help finance the production of or air new episodes of the show on its streaming platform, Max, in December 2024, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The new season of Sesame Street is set to premiere on Netflix in November 2025.