How many of us grew up watching the The Wizard of Oz? I remember being maybe three or four years old and sitting on my dad’s lap watching it. Every time that mean old witch would come on, I’d run into the bedroom and slam the door and hide. “Tell me when she’s gone!” I’d yell through the door at my dad.
But even though those parts terrified me, I loved the rest of the story. I watched it every year until I was an adult with a very busy life.
So obviously, when we found out about Dorothy’s House & Land of Oz in Liberal, Kansas, I had to see it. David has never actually watched it so he was basically along to accompany me.
A small white house surrounded by a white picket fence greets you right away as you pull into the parking lot. It’s not the actual house from the movie, but one that was moved to the site and restored and recreated to look like a house of the early 1900s. Dorothy’s bedroom is staged to look just like the movie.
Wooden cutouts of the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, Scarecrow, and the Tin Man beckon you in, as does a bronze statue of Dorothy and Toto.
Walk on the Yellow Brick Road where you will see the names of not only characters such as Dorothy Gail and Toto, but also some pretty famous people that have been through the area or simply sent money for a brick to help support the project.
When you approach the house, there is a sign on the front door letting you know that to tour the house you need to go to the building behind you to purchase tickets. This building is the Seward County Coronado Museum, and it is free to tour the museum itself.
Once inside, we found that we would need to wait about a half hour for the next tour. Luckily the museum also contains a great gift shop of Oz-themed items to look at while we waited. Of course, we had to support them and bought lots of souvenirs!
While waiting for our tour we learned that it would be given by a “Dorothy”. There are many young women from the area who take turns playing the part.
Finally, it was our turn for the tour. Our Dorothy welcomed us, dressed in complete costume with a blue and white checked dress, ruby shoes, and carrying Toto in a basket.
She took us through a short walk on the property, explaining the bricks and other items, then into the house where she showed us each room and talked about the various things on display such as a chamber pot, “switch irons”, and a stereoscope which is like an old-fashioned View-Master. It was an excellent representation of life in the time.
Once we were through with the tour of the house, we then went in a metal building which houses a kind of recreation of the movie. Dorothy led us through it, in character, telling the story from her point of view. It was adorable, recollecting the scenes along with her, and of course, saying some of the lines along with her.
At the end, there is a display room with a lot of memorabilia from the movie, including items donated by the Munchkins, as well as items belonging to Frank Baum.
There is a tiny farmhouse on display that is actually the model used in the scene in the movie where the house was caught up in the tornado.
I had so much fun touring this little museum and display, experiencing the Wizard of Oz in a different way, and of course, no longer being afraid of the Wicked Witch of the West. Even though David had never seen the movie, he thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience as well, appreciating the skill of “Dorothy” in telling the story and talking about the history and the vintage objects.
The Wizard of Oz Museum is located at 567 Cedar Street, Liberal Kansas, 67901.
Admission: $10 for Seniors over 65, $12.50 for adults 19+, $8 for ages 6-14, free for 5 and under.
Hours are 9am-5pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1pm-5pm on Sundays. Closed Mondays except from Memorial Day through Labor Day, then it is also open on Mondays.
The second Saturday in October is “Ozfest” with a full day of activities and entertainment. A perfect time to stop by on your way south.
And remember – there’s no place like home, especially when home is in Texas in the winter!
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