The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved tales of all time. Dorothy Gale, a farm girl from Kansas, and her little dog Toto were blown into the most fantastical of adventures by a Kansas tornado.
After touching down in the Land of Oz, she quickly realized that they weren’t in Kansas anymore.
On Dorothy’s trip through Oz she and Toto experience many adventures in their quest to make their way home to Kansas and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry! And in the process made their way into the hearts of people around the world.
Immerse yourself in the magical Land of Oz at the Wizard of Oz Museum Kansas, the best Oz museum!
Table of Contents
About the Wizard of Oz Museum Kansas
Where is the Wizard of Oz Museum?
There are many Oz Museums around the United States, but the BEST Oz museum can be found in Kansas, of course!
People around the world associate the state of Kansas with the famous tale. Tell someone you’re from Kansas and you may just elicit some remarks like “Where’s Toto,” and “Well Dorothy, I guess you’re not in Kansas anymore.”
The Kansas Wizard of Oz Museum is located in Wamego Kansas, a small town that has embraced the state’s association with the popular tale and really done a great job of bringing Oz to life!
In Wamego it’s all things Oz! The whole town is fun for all ages.
Location and directions can be found further down in this article.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
The best Wizard of Oz Museum
Here’s why the Wamego Kansas Wizard of Oz Museum is the best of them all:
With over 2,000 items, the Kansas Wizard of Oz Museum showcases one of the largest private collections of Oz collectibles and memorabilia in the world, spanning over 123 years of Oz history!
In 2021 it earned a spot on USA Today’s “Best Pop Culture Museum List.”
Their collection of Oz-related artifacts includes 1st edition Wizard of Oz books by L Frank Baum, hand prints from some of the original munchkins, and more Oz related items than you can see in a day.
There’s A LOT to see inside of the Wizard of Oz Museum in Kansas! In the “Welcome to Oz” brochure they list their top 10 items.
top 10 items inside the museum
1-Munchkin jacket from the 1939 MGM film
2-Flying Monkey miniatures, used in the movie the Wizard of Oz
3-1st Edition Wizard of Oz. The Museum is in possession of a first Edition of the 1900 “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” book
4-Woozy Doll, made by L. Frank Baum
5-Original MGM 1939 movie production notes
6-Stage props from the Broadway Musical “Wicked”
7-Death certificate signed by the original Munchkin Coroner
8-Yellow brick from Baum’s military grade school
9-Gloves of Munchkin Nita Krebs
10-Lullaby League’er Olga’s Vaudeville travel kit & Costume
(according to the “Welcome to Oz Brochure”)
Inside the Wizard of Oz Museum Kansas
Let’s take a look at what you’ll find inside the Museum.
Favorite Wizard of Oz characters
All of your favorite main characters can be found inside the Kansas Wizard of Oz Museum KS, including these life size versions!
Did you know? Dorothy was named after a niece of Baum’s wife who tragically died as an infant.
The character of the Scarecrow was born from Baum’s childhood nightmares, the inspiration for Tin man from a cobbled together figure he created from metal scraps.
Take a little walk through the haunted forest:
The Haunted Forest: depicts the darker side of the story.
The Book: where it all began
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, penned by author L. Frank Baum, was published in 1900. While it wasn’t Baum’s first children’s book the story of Oz was by far his biggest success! By the time the book entered the public domain in 1956 it had sold over 3 million copies.
Here we are over 100 years after publication and we still can’t get enough of this magical tale!
The museum has an impressive collection of books and artwork. Baum wrote thirteen additional Oz books which serve as official sequels to the original book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Movie: a Hollywood classic
In 1939 MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and Warner Bros. Pictures released The Wizard of Oz film, a musical starring Judy Garland. It was MGM’s most expensive production at the time and didn’t actually make a profit until its re-release in 1949.
Did you know? Shirley Temple was the first choice to play Dorothy Gale? I don’t know about you but I’m very glad that Judy Garland got the part! I mean if the Ruby Slipper fits, wear it Judy!
In 1956 it hit the small screen when CBS broadcast it for the first time on television. What followed made history when it became an annual television tradition.
The Library of Congress has declared it the most seen film in movie history. The Wizard of Oz has become an American classic to say the least.
You’ll find a variety of memorabilia at the Wizard of Oz Museum KS:
These shoes put on a show in the bright museum lights!
fun photo opportunities!
Have a little fun with props and the characters:
There are plenty of fun photo opportunities inside the Wizard of Oz Museum KS.
Theater!
There’s a tiny movie theater in the museum that plays the full 1 hour 57 minute Wizard of Oz Movie on a continuous loop! so give yourself some extra time and take in a bit of the film.
Wizard of Oz gift shop
You’ll find plenty of fun Oz themed gifts in Auntie Em’s gift shop, the official Oz Museum store.
If you can dream it you can probably find it in this gift shop! toys, books, shirts, movie memorabilia and MORE!
And be sure to test out the Tornado Machine in the gift shop before you leave the Oz Museum! The tornado machine costs $2 and simulates wind speeds of up to 75 mph!
Times and admission fees
The museum is open 7 days a week:
summer schedule: (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Monday-Saturday from 9 am – 6 pm
Sunday from 12 pm – 6 pm
winter schedule:
Monday-Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday from 12 pm – 5 pm
closed Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Cost of admission:
Adults $10
Children 12 and under $8 (2 and under FREE)
Military, student, and group discounts available.
*** For the most current information on cost of admission and hours of operation: see the Oz Museum Website.
the exterior
As you probably noticed in the picture the exterior of the building is covered in some really beutiful and impressive art!
Here’s a close up of my favorite scene depicted on the exterior of the museum.
Wizard of Oz Town
Are there any Wizard of Oz attractions in Kansas? The Oz theme can be found throughout Downtown Wamego Kansas. You’ll find fun details from the popular movie and classic book all around town! This small Kansas town has been transformed into a magical Oz destination! So get those Ruby Red Slippers out and head on over to Wamego!
Here are some of the fun Wizard of Oz themed attractions around town:
- Oz themed dining
- Oz themed Wine Tasting
- OztoberFEST!
- The Yellow Brick Road
- Finding Totos around town
- More!
Dining
Don’t miss Toto’s TacOz, a Wizard of Oz themed restaurant with a cal-mex menu. Look for menu items like “Emerald City Street Tacos” Tin Man Burrito” Uncle Henry or Auntie Em’s Nachos” You’ll find it just a few doors down from the museum at:
515 Lincoln Ave, Wamego, KS 66547
Wine Tasting, Oz themed!
The Oz Winery can also be found just a few doors down from the museum in the downtown area. Schedule a wine tasting and choose from wines with fun whimsical names like “Squished Witch” “Emerald City Lights” “Yellow Brick Road” “Flying Monkey” “Drunken Munchkin” and more!
417 Lincoln Ave, Wamego, KS 66547
Yellow Brick Road Oz
You can follow the Yellow Brick Road to Oz. You’ll find it just across the street from the museum.
Finding Toto
Toto, the cairn terrier, is one of the most beloved characters from the Wizard of Oz. Wamego had hidden Totos all over town. There are 15 of them in all. Maps to help find Toto can be found at most businesses in town. (I got my Totos Around Town map at the museum in the City Park.)
OZtoberFest
Just when you thought things could not be more “OZ”…. Every first weekend in October, the town of Wamego celebrates all things Wizard of Oz at their OZtoberFest!
Just a few of the fun things you can experience at OZtoberFEST:
- costume and look-alike contests
- beer and wine gardens
- classic car shows
- live music
- appearances by characters (and actors) from the movie
- lots of sightings of the girl in blue and white checkered dress in the unofficial home of Dorothy Gale!
- and much more!
The Columbian Theater
The Columbian Theater is a historic building located a couple of doors down from the museum in downtown Wamego. There you will find art exhibits from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, among other things.
From time to time you may be able to catch a production of the Wizard of Oz, check their website for current theater productions.
more things to do in Wamego
Don’t stop there.
Wamego has a surprising lot of things to do for a town its size. Find out what other fun things you can do in Wamego in my article Fun things to do in Wamego Kansas, all about the day I set off to see the Wizard, in Wamego Kansas, because sometimes, there really is no place like home!
One of my favorite spots in town is Wamego City Park!
Looking for more things to do in the Wamego area? Another of the best Kansas day trips is just down the road. Tour a working Buffalo Ranch! get the lowdown here: Home on the Range in Kansas, at Plumlee Buffalo Ranch.
Getting to Wamego: The Road to OZ
The Wizard of Oz Museum is somewhat centrally located in the Sunflower State, and is just a short car ride from many towns in northeast Kansas. It’s one of the BEST DAY TRIPS IN KANSAS!
Highway 99, between interstate 70 and Wamego, has been officially designated as the Road to Oz.
Oz Museum address:
511 Road to Oz Highway, Wamego, KS 66547
Directions:
GPS Coordinates: 39.20293041278965, -96.3053634
Distance from:
- Kansas City: 105 miles, 1 hour 34 minutes
- Topeka: 45 miles, 45 minutes
- Manhattan: 16 miles, 21 minutes
- Wichita: 150 miles, 220 minutes
- Salina Kansas: 87 miles, 1 hour 18 minutes
*** Distances are an estimation for information purposes only. Distances calculated with Google Maps.
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