There’s no place like Wamego, Kansas.
The façade of the buildingin business district Wamego is a rich green , trim in a yellow that pop . with child picture windows give a glimpse of what ’s inside : a toon king of beasts peeking out from one ; Tin Man cheese in another . But if that ’s enough to give it away , just take a gander at the sign in big aureate alphabetic character , hang like an oversized belt buckle : Oz Museum . Crawling around it are four life - sized flying monkey sculptures , hoar and menacing , by Kansas artist Daniel E. Ney .
But that ’s not all : Behind you , on the other side of Lincoln Avenue , there ’s ayellow brick road — anactualyellow brick route , with its own matching gold sign ( it says … “ Yellow Brick Road ” ) . The wall lining the walk are painted with wall painting fromThe terrific Wizard of Oz , the L. Frank Baum Koran that became the movie : “ True bravery is facing danger when you are afraid , ” it enjoin under an illustration of a sobbing cowardly lion , and “ Toto did not really care he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him , ” under a Good Witch tableau .
The small railroad town goes big on ‘The Wizard of Oz.’
Just like in the book and movie , Toto the dog is ubiquitous in Wamego . You ’ll find a green 2 - invertebrate foot - tall statue of Dorothy ’s furred protagonist at the incoming to the icteric brick road , paint by artist Joyce Abernathy . That ’s Emerald City Toto . There are over 15 more#TotosAroundTown , by Kansas artist : there ’s a bookish one with glass , a sporty one with a baseball game jacket , one that appears to have a shoe fetich — everywhere from the gearing depot to railway park and public program library , and , yup , alfresco of the Oz Museum . Downloada map or pick one up from the visitors bureau , and find them all .
The pops of emerald and yellow foreshadow what ’s to come . tolerate on the street outside the museum , you ’re still in Kansas , in a throwback westerly expansion town . The construction date back to the mid-1800s , the coloring material scheme less vintage sepia - toned , and more just neutral .
But on the other side of the museum doorway , it ’s Technicolor .
You think you know what’s inside, but you have no idea.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
First matter ’s first : Why is Wamego so intoThe Wizard of Oz ? They ’d answer , “ Why not ? ” Technically , anywhere in Kansas can lay claim to the narrative : the book ( and movie ) just specialise the nation . And for indisputable , others do : InSedanthey have their own Yellow Brick Road — the world ’s longest , with its own Yellow Brick Road festival . In Liberal , Kansas you could see an old farmhouse turned intoDorothy ’s House , plus a Land of Oz demonstrate complete with animated displays and tour guides in Dorothy Gale cosplay .
Wamego ’s cultism to Oz happened almost by accident , thanks to the restoration of the historical 1893Columbian field of operations , first built for vaudeville operation and to domiciliate artwork spell from the 1893 Columbian Exposition and World ’s Fair ( incidentally the same World ’s Fair whose White City inspired L. Frank Baum to create Oz ’s Emerald City ) . In decide what they could display , Wamego native and Hallmark creative person Todd Mancin ’s solicitation of Oz memorabilia come to mind . It had previously been on display at the Crown Center in Kansas City . “ For one reason or another he collected a very impressiveWizard of Ozcollection , ” articulate Clint Stueve , Executive Director of The Columbian Theater and Oz Museum . “ And so when we opened the Columbian Theater we ask if he would be unforced to expose it here in his hometown . ”
The showing draw 12,000 visitant that summer , crowding the town of just 4,000 . Says Stueve , “ It really inspired the great unwashed to opine of a bigger positioning , something more lasting that could really help rise the downtown country . ”
He’s waiting for you in the gift shop.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
The Oz Museum open in 2003 . After five years on loan , Mancin ’s appeal had to be retort , but in a apoplexy of chance , a Franciscan monk named Johnpaul Cafiero inquired about displayinghisfamily collection , as he had no way for it at the monastery . “ His nanna had acquired a first edition book when she was young , and that was part of their family story , ” says Stueve . “ As each of them impart to the assembling and it became this large trove of Oz artefact , and unequaled pieces of history . ” They had hit the jackpot .
Today the museum has more than 2,000 rotating small-arm on display , some Cafiero ’s , others donated . They ’ve also begun acquire their own for a permanent compendium . They focused on items from the 1939 movie : noted pieces admit Munchkin jackets , Glinda the Good Witch ’s broach , a Winkie Guard Spear , and the vaudeville costume of Olga C. Nardone , remember to be one of the little Munchkins . “ We also have some accounting documents from MGM ’s playscript from the ’ 39 plastic film , which may not be exciting for everybody , but I was really worked up about , ” says Stueve . There ’s also a pilot monkey prop , one of which is also in Cafiero ’s collection . “ I believe there ’s only four in universe , so now two of them are in the museum . ”
The rest of the artifacts go the gamut , from influences to offset likeThe WizandWicked . In the gift shop , before you even enter the museum , you ’re greet by a gigantic 8 - foot - tall tin man — with a heart . “ It was originally grow by the MGM Grand Casino as they were form with Roger Baum , a descendent of Frank Baum and also a children ’s author in his own rightfulness , ” says Stueve . “ He did Scripture signing at the MGM Grand , so when he was done , they gifted it to him . ” The gigantic ( and kind of sinister ! ) Tin Man is also signed . Under Baum ’s signature it says : “ Toto Too . ”
He’s waiting for you in the gift shop.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
Inside , walk along ( another ) yellow brick road and pass by fashion model of all the characters in tableaus , a visitant favorite . There ’s a screening room with the movie on loop , collectible Barbie dolls of the characters , and a Swarovski fiftieth day of remembrance edition of the crimson slippers and random point like the recommendation of Ray Bolger , who played the scarecrow in the 1939 movie .
The museum collaborated with historian for an astounding horizontal surface of detail and accuracy . A display on writer L. Frank Baum include entropy about his mother - in - jurisprudence , feminist Mathilda Joslyn Gage , an representative of the woman in his life that made their way into the playscript ’s secret plan ( there are no strong father figure in Oz but plenty of strong women — including villains ) .
If you ’re into the technical side of things , you ’ll find a gripping display on how the particular effect were achieved in the movie . The crack , for example , was 35 feet magniloquent and made of muslin connected to the top and bottom of a stage . The images in the watch glass Lucille Ball were front - projected , and the ‘ Surrender Dorothy ’ skywriting was make in a armoured combat vehicle of liquid using black ink . The spinning farmhouse was in reality a 3 - foot - tall model ( okay , sure , you could kinda tell with that one ) .
You gotta have some ruby slippers.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
There ’s also behind - the - scenes Hollywood gossip , affair like Shirley Temple was really the first choice for Dorothy in the pic , Frank Morgan ( who played five character ) brought a miniature saloon in a grip to work every day , and Toto was in reality a female cairn terrier named Terry , who later changed her name to Toto . And though Terry / Toto got paid the least of all the main lineament , it was still more than the Munchkins .
After the Oz museum was established , Wamego took the construct and be given . The town is a fully immersive Oz experience at this point : Besides the museum , the yellow brick road , and those # TotosAroundTown , there’sToto ’s TacOz!(“The Best Cal - Mex on the Yellow Brick Road ” ) , anEmerald Door salon , and theOz Winerywith its free samples of ( pretty unspoiled ! ) wines with names like Squished Witch , Flying Monkey , Run Toto Run , and yes , okay , Yellow Brick Road .
In the declivity , the town throwsOztoberFEST , with a costume competition , Toto appear - like competition , barbecue challenge , Classic Car Show , and more . This year , it ’s October 1 . And in past age there ’s been aWicked - themed marathon . “ My wife ran in the very firstWickedmarathon , ” says Stueve . “ She spray her shoes with adhesive and put red glitter all over them . After 26 miles there was n’t a flock of glitter leave . ”
Wicked? Or misunderstood?|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
But noWizard of Ozimmersion would be complete without experiencing the tornado that catapulted Dorothy from Kansas into Technicolor .
Yup , Wamego has a custom green tornado machine , found in the Oz Museum gift shop . For just $ 2 you , too , can feel the force of 78.9 mph winds . But before you step in and get whip aside , retrieve the magic phrase . You have it off the one .
Say hi to this fancy Toto on the yellow brick road.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
Wonder if they’re having the Run Toto Run Syrah or the Flying Monkey Zin (actual names).|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
Sure, try the tornado machine. Just make sure you remember the magic words to get home.|Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
