The Oz Museum: Behind The Yellow Brick Road

Entering the Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

Unlike Elton John, we did not find ourselves beyond the enchanted pathway, instead we found ourselves right in the middle of it, and privy to the secrets behind the making of the most magical road movie of all time.

The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

Yes Dorothy, we were in Kansas anymore, Wamego to be exact.

As the home of The Oz Museum, this little burg between Topeka and Manhattan has become quite a Mecca for fans of The Wizard of Oz.

We entered the main street storefront into a fairly typical gift shop, with a couple of exceptions.

There was a tornado machine in one corner and a very familiar-looking, sepia-toned house along the far wall.

Auntie Em's house at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

To set the mood, we stepped into the machine and were buffeted by gale force winds.

We say gale, as opposed to tornadic, not only because it is Dorothy’s last name, but also because was must admit to being a little disappointed by the lack of vortex.

The wind blew straight down on our heads. Nevertheless, we felt ready to enter Auntie Em’s front door.

Dorothy Display at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

In a very effective nod to the movie’s switch from black & white to technicolor, everything beyond the doorway was properly retina-burningly bright.

Our journey began with the books behind the film, including a first edition of the one that started it all, L. Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz from 1900.

The complete collection of OZ books at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

Baum went on to pen thirteen more Oz books, but the tales continued even after he passed away as the publisher sanctioned over twenty more titles, mostly written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. In all, the series spanned five decades.

Waddle books and games at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

The Wicked Witch, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

The Wizard of Oz display at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

From the literary beginnings, we moved on to the displays about the beloved 1939 movie that brought Oz to life for so many millions of people.

Each of the main characters is given a space which includes signed memorabilia, letters, notes, and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories.

Buddy Epson as the Tin Man at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

We learned that several of the actors were not the first choice for their roles. W. C. Fields was originally cast as the wizard, played by Frank Morgan, but contract disputes got in the way; and Buddy Ebsen, of Jed Clampett and Barnaby Jones fame, was the first pick for The Tin Man until the silver makeup made him ill, giving the part to Jack Haley.

The Tin Man's hat at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

Many of the film’s special effects are explained too.

The tornado was made of a gauze-like muslin fabric wrapped around a wire coil, and the wicked witch’s “Surrender Dorothy” sky writing was achieved with an ink-filled medical needle and water in a glass tank.

Most interesting to David, especially since he can finally stop being terrified of them, were the little models used to create the army of flying monkeys.

Flying Monkey at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

The Ruby Slippers at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

There are several replicas of the ruby slippers, which were originally meant to be silver but changed because red looked so much better against the yellow brick road, but an original pair destined to be displayed at the Oz Museum fell prey to thieves back in 2005.

Unfortunately, one of the five known pairs used in the movie was stolen from The Judy Garland Museum two weeks before they were scheduled to be delivered. While some of the other shoes have been auctioned for over half a million dollars, the stolen ones have never surfaced.

The theater at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

The Haunted Forest at The Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas

In the back of the building a theater runs a pristine copy of the MGM classic, but we’ve seen it hundreds of times so we headed into the Haunted Forest, lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Just as in the movie, beyond the forest we came to Glenda The Good Witch and the hot air balloon.

But we didn’t need a ride back to Kansas, it was right outside the door.

Toto's Tacoz in Wamego, Kansas

The museum has spawned several other Oz based businesses in Wamego. Right next door we grabbed a bite at Toto’s Tacoz.

We knew it had to be good because they spelled tacos with a Z.

The Oz Winery in Wamego, Kansas

About a block down Lincoln Street we found the Oz Winery.

They make a wide variety of wines right on site, many with fanciful Oz based names like Squished Witch, Flying Monkeys, Drunken Munchkin, and Wine of a Different Color.

The Oz Winery in Wamego, Kansas

In fact, Oz has become such an integral part of the town that each year they host a giant Oztoberfest combining the classic Bavarian festival with thousands of fans, many decked out as their favorite fantasy characters from the merry old land of Oz.

We’re not positive about this, but speculation is that this might be where the winery got the idea for the name Drunken Munchkin.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com


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13 thoughts on “The Oz Museum: Behind The Yellow Brick Road”

  1. You create beautiful works. The winery and it’s rather extraordinary and eccentric titles is too fabulous for words!

  2. The Oz Winery sounds like my kind of place! The movie used to really scare me as a kid. Maybe I should try watching it again. I haven’t seen it in probably more than 20 years.

  3. The only thing scarier than the monkeys was the neighbor/witch furiously peddling her bike! What a great museum for classic movie buffs. I’d love to try a glass of Squished Witch in Kansas someday (but not in tornado season)!

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