Guest Author - Joy Smith

Ask almost anyone and they can tell you all about The Wizard of Oz. From the munchkins to the yellow brick road, Wizard of Oz fanatics know it all. So, with so many Wizard of Oz fans, it’s no wonder there are museums, festivals and yellow brick roads dedicated to the movie right here in the heart of Kansas where it all began.

If you’re a Wizard of Oz fanatic like most of us, then the idea of visiting an Oz museum festival or even the yellow brick road is probably a dream come true.

In Sedan, Kansas, fans will find the longest Yellow Brick Road in the world. The yellow brick road is located throughout the downtown area where each brick is cast with a person’s name in it. If that is not enough, there is always the Annual Yellow Brick Road Festival that is held every year in May on Memorial Day Weekend, downtown Main Street. While the festival is more of a parade than anything, it’s still worth the visit. To get to Sedan, you’ll need to travel along U.S. Highway 166. If you live in Oklahoma Sedan is about 20 minutes from the Oklahoma border.

In Liberal, Kansas, fans will discover a replica of Dorothy’s farmhouse, which has been made into a museum. The museum houses the original model of Dorothy’s house, which was used in “The Wizard of Oz” movie. The museum can be found at 567 Yellow Brick Road in Liberal. . Liberal is only a few minutes from the Oklahoma border, located along U.S. Highway 54.

In Wamego, Kansas, there is another Wizard of Oz museum. The museum boasts of over 2,000 “Oz” collectibles dating back from as early as the 1900’s. The museum also showcases a replica of the ruby red slippers Dorothy wore in the movie as well as a dress worn by Diana Ross from the musical, “The Wiz” in 1978. The Oz Museum is located downtown at 511 Lincoln Street.

And if that’s not enough, you may want to plan your trip in October when you can visit Wamego’s Annual OztoberFest, which is held, from October 20-22. The unique thing about OztoberFest is that they feature relatives of writer Frank Baum and some of the original actors who played the Munchkins in the “Wizard of Oz” movie. To get to Wamego you’ll want to take Highway 99 thirty minutes east of Manhattan, Kansas.