My Trip to Oz

My daughter had a baby boy this summer.  She and her family were living in Kansas, where her husband was stationed at an Army post.  I made the twelve hour drive to Fort Riley from Texas believing that Kansas was going to be a totally boring place to visit, with nothing special to see except my family.  And while much of the scenery was quite repetitive, I was surprised by the little hills and trees in north central Kansas.

As an aside, Kudos to Fort Riley for setting up a very nice residential section on post with hike and bike trails and parks.  The weather was good and I made use of those trails.

While most of the trip was spent at my daughter's house, we did go out to Wamego, Kansas to see  the Wizard.  Well, actually the Wizard of Oz Museum.  Turns out that Kansas is very proud of its Wizard of Oz history, and they are making the most of tourism with  Dorothy's House and a museum in Liberal, Kansas, to this wonderful Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas.

First built in 2003, this museum was built with a grant from the state of Kansas and contributions from the citizens of the Wamego area, the museum answers the question given many Kansas natives, "How are Dorothy and Toto?"  The museum relies on volunteers and donations to keep the it going.

Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz

Starting as a book for children, written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, the Wizard of Oz has been made into several movies, including the 1939 version starring Judy Garland, and a board game by Parker Brothers.  This museum features over 2000 artifacts and articles from these movies and the game.

The Wizard of Oz Museum has several articles about the making of the original movie.  I learned that  Shirley Temple was considered for the role of Dorothy, and some information about the Munchkins.

It's hard to see in this photo, but one of the midgets who played a Munchkin, later filled in as a stand in for Dennis the Menace in the TV show.  I also found out today that one of the men who played a Munchkin is from Pflugerville, Texas, a town near my home.

The first room in the museum is a gift shop with coffee mugs and travel cups, shot glasses, jewelry, t-shirts, figurines, and more.  My grandson had to try out the tornado machine, and he came out unscathed.  

In October, the town is home to Oztoberfest, bringing together Wizard of Oz fans from around the country.  Visitors can also go to the Oz Winery and Toto's Tacos.

Be sure to visit Wamego if you're in north central Kansas.  I'm sure you'll find it worth your while!