Sesame Place ( Texas ) A Sesame Place theme park opened in Irving , Texas in 1982 , but didn ' t find success , closing in 1984 . Midway between Dallas and Fort Worth , the Busch Entertainment park was 7 acres , cost an estimated $ 10 million , and was targeted to children age 3 - 13 . The park was located at 183 and Esters ; its parking lot is now a Walmart Supercenter , the park itself is a dollar store . In a contrast to its Pennsylvania counterpart , Texas ' Sesame Place was mostly indoors . Like Tokyo Sesame Place , the park ' s entrance was Big Bird ' s head . Of note was a replica of 123 Sesame Street where an animatronic Big Bird head could be seen from behind the doors in his nest , while photo puppets of Grover , Bert , The Count and Prairie Dawn were in the windows . Right next door was a ball pit replica of Ernie ' s bathtub , with a figure of Ernie in the tub . There was also a rope course , flash shadow room , maze . Stormie Jones , the 6 - year - old recipient of the first simultaneous heart and liver transplant , was visited by three walkaround characters from the park . She had wanted to visit a theme park , but wasn ' t deemed fit to do so . The heart transplant led to her eventual death in 1990 . The Oak Ridge Boys music video for " Thank God For Kids " was filmed there , as was a segment of Jerry Haynes ' local kids magazine format TV show " Peppermint Place " , which was syndicated in 108 US markets at one point . Muenster Enterprise articles . The Muenster Enterprise , a local newspaper for Muenster , Texas and Cooke County , printed a special Focus section about Sesame Place in its May 13 , 1983 edition . The section included two detailed articles describing the park ' s attractions , which are quoted in full below . Children play safely 3 stories up . " Look at me ! " is the most commonly heard cry from children as they go from one outdoor play activity to another at Sesame Place in Irving , Texas . This cry of delight in discovering new things and mastering new skills is what the Sesame Place experience is all about for families with children ages 3 to 13 . This year , families can also discover new live entertainment at Sesame Place as Bert and Ernie , popular Muppet characters , take up residence in the park along with another Muppet creation called " The Honker " . Bert and Ernie will perform a song and dance show at regular intervals during the day in the outdoor play area near the " Nets and Climbs . " Both adults and children also will enjoy a new outdoor live animal show preduced by Ray Berwick , who has trained animals for the movies for many years . The Sesame Place animals will include performing dogs , cats and birds . The outdoor activities at Sesame Place draw on a variety of physical skills from climbing , jumping and sliding to crawling , gliding and spinning . And there are play things for children of different age and skill levels . New in 1983 is the " Sesame 500 " , a specially created race track for " big wheel " type bikes . The three - wheeled vehicles travel a 500 - foot course which includes hairpin turns and spin - out areas . Bikers on the four lanes of the Sesame 500 track take off when a flashing electronic starter similar to those found at most drag strips gives the " go " sign . The laps are electronically timed so that pedalers can try to beat their personal best times as well as their friends . Activities that get kids wet continue to be the most popular with young Sesame Place visitors . Moms and dads are encouraged to pack a change of clothes and bring their children in swim suits , especially during hot summer days . Favorites are the " Amazing Mumford ' s Water Maze " , where children crawl through colorful metal chambers and net tubes as water sprays from all directions , and " Herry ' s Hands Over Water " where youngsters use a rope ladder with a series of rings to pull themselves across a water - covered surface . Coming in June will be more water - oriented activities including a 120 - foot - long " Zoom Flume " which has an ice - slick spongy vinyl surface sprayed with water . Sliders come out of the " Zoom Flume " tube into a spin - out basin made of the same super slick material , and drop another six feet into a splash pool at the bottom . Next to the " Zoom Flume " will be the " Slippery Slope " which also opens in June . This wet slide has eight lanes and drops nine feet on a 45 - foot course . The Sesame Place Play Court , as the outdoor area is known , features more than 30 active play activities . One of the most popular " old favorites " is the " Count ' s Ballroom " which features a sea of 180 , 000 plastic colored balls on a water bed type of surface . Children can hide in the balls , slink through them or bounce around in the slippery surface . Climbing can be just as much fun as crawling and sliding . A slippery vinyl structure called " Cookie Mountain " invited kids to climb to the top and slide down . Cargo nets extending more than 50 feet above the Play Court also are made for climbing and cavorting while suspended in space . Other challenges are presented by " Ernie ' s Bed Bounce , " a giant vinyl air mattress - type surface . Made just for bouncing , jumping and flipping out , it makes walking and standing a challenge for anyone who ventures onto its wobbly surface . Older children also are challenged by " Grover ' s Cable Glide " which this year swings them through a gully of spring - powered padded obstacles which they can kick aside as they make their crossing . There also are a lot of activities for the preschool set including climbing through " Twiddlebug Tunnel , " playing " Rubber Duckie Pond " and making things with giant building blocks at the " Sesame Construction Company . " Parents who don ' t wish to join in the active outdoor play with their children can still be a part of the experience as they watch all of the activities from a heavily landscaped shaded oasis where adult - style frozen juice bar drinks are served . Parents also can join in the play and try out the different equipment and activities with their children . Big Bird features games plus . For today ' s kids , walking through the giant Big Bird entrance into Sesame Place ' s indoor play area is like Alice of fairy - tale fame finding herself in wonderland . The first discovery is one of the largest collections of computer games under one roof . The Sesame Place Computer Gallery is one of several attractions in the 40 , 000 square - foot air - conditioned atrium which houses 50 specially designed stand - alone micro - computers with simplified keyboards that arrange letters in alphabetical order to make them easier for youngsters to use . An innovative assortment of 60 games has been designed to challenge the skills of children of different age levels . Created for Sesame Place by Children ' s Computer Workshop , a subsidiary of Children ' s Television Workshop , the games invite players to solve puzzles , form patterns , make words and letters , create musical compositions and test hand - eye coordination . For younger children , there are more simple games like " Mup - O - Matic " in which players guess the Muppet characters emerging on the screen . Older players are challenged by a game called " Lemonade , " which demonstrates how to use the computer to solve the economical problems of running a profitable lemonade stand . Visitors can purchase four plays for $ 1 and are assisted by trained Sesame Place employees who work with families and first - time users . In addition to the Computer Gallery , there are a number of other indoor activities designed to challenge both the mind and the body . New indoor attractions in 1983 are the " Sesame Dream Network " , regular science demonstrations by the " zany professor " , and the " Rainbow Room " which features a show of lights and two other new science exhibits . In the " Sesame Dream Network , " members of the audience become stars of their own TV production . A master storyteller weaves a plot and choreographs the park guests who play different roles . The performance , which incorporates prerecorded segments with the actions of the " actors " and " actresses " from the audience , is played live for all to see . A 150 - seat theater becomes the stage for a " zany professor " who demonstrates his version of scientific principles . When the professor is not entertaining visitors with his zany experiments , the theater provides a viewing area for families to watch specially produced Muppet videotapes only shown at Sesame Place . The " Rainbow Room " is another new experience which combines fun and scientific principles . Families perform different motions before a screen and then see their actions projected in a rainbow of colored lights . Two other new science exhibits also demonstrate the principles of light . " Foot Notes " allows visitors to " make music " by moving from one colored light to another as the light is beamed into the floor . As they step on colors , a sensing device is triggered which plays different tones . " Everyone Is You and Me " is a new science activity which allows visitors to see their own features reflected on their partner ' s face . Partners sit on opposite sides of polarized glass . By slowly adjusting the light on the one - way mirror , they can create a special reflection . There also are many of the original indoor attractions which delight children and their parents as they make new discoveries about sight , sound and motion . The Sesame Studio , a replica of the " Sesame Street " TV set , encourages active participation with video equipment used in TV productions , including cameras and a switcher station . Two cameras are in front of the set . One is in a fixed position overhead and the other is movable . Families can operate the movable camera and see themselves on TV via the closed - circuit system . At the switcher station , they can operate a control panel which selects and changes the picture image on the TV monitors . Another favorite is the " Shadow Room . " Youngsters pose against phosphorescent panels as a strobe light pulses on and off . Their image is left on the wall like a frozen shadow . Images also are reflected and refracted by the " Anti - Gravity Mirror " and " Teleidoscope Temple . " Through different reflections , the " Anti - Gravity Mirror " lets children see themselves " floating " in air . The mirrors in the " Teleidoscope Remple " are placed at 60 - degree angles with visitors standing in the center of the three - way reflection which makes their image appear to go into infinity . Visitors also can see images they create turn into " motion pictures " by experimenting with the " Zoetrope . " Children see how movies are made by looking at images of Oscar the Grouch being spun rapidly in a drum which turns still drawings into motion pictures . Youngsters can make their own drawings on a special picture strip , put them in the spinning drum and see the images blend into a moving picture . The indoor play area also features slides and the " Crystal Climb , " a clear maze - like structure for climbing , sliding and playing hide - and - seek . The Sesame Place Food Factory also is housed inside the atrium and only serves foods that are good for you . This unusual family restaurant has an open kitchen which encourages children to watch fresh food being prepared . There is a two - way communication system so that children can ask questions about the food preparation . Sesame Place also has added an indoor lounge for adults with comfortable seating and a big - screen television which plays cable sports programs . There also are two smaller TV monitors which offer news updates and the latest stock market information . The atrium also is the location for Mr . Hooper ' s Store which features the largest collection of " Sesame " merchandise ranging from dolls and clothing to games , books and puzzles . The store encourages children to browse , hug the dolls , thumb through books and select their own merchandise placed at child level , not out of reach on a tall countertop . The Sesame Place indoor atrium offers hours of fun for families on rainy days or when they are looking for a refreshing break from the active outdoor play activities .