Land of Oz (theme park) facts for kids

The Land of Oz is a special theme park located in the mountain town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, USA. It first opened in 1970. This park was inspired by the famous Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. It was created by the Carolina Caribbean Corporation, with help from Grover Robbins, who also had success with Tweetsie Railroad. The park was fully open for visitors until 1980.

Today, the Land of Oz opens for special events. In June, you can take "Journey with Dorothy Tours." In September, it hosts "Autumn at Oz," which is the biggest Wizard of Oz festival in the United States.

Park History

Building the Park

In 1965, brothers Harry and Grover Robbins wanted to make their Beech Mountain ski resort busy all year round. They found an area that reminded them of The Wizard of Oz. So, they decided to build a theme park based on the story. They even had over 44,000 yellow bricks made for the famous Yellow Brick Road!

The music played in the park was special too. Famous composers like Alec Wilder and North Carolina's own Loonis McGlohon wrote songs for the characters. They even got permission to use "Over the Rainbow" from the movie.

Grand Opening

The Land of Oz officially opened on June 15, 1970. Famous actress Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher were there to cut the ribbon. The park was designed so visitors could feel like Dorothy. You would start in Kansas, experience the tornado, and then walk down the Yellow Brick Road. Along the way, you would meet characters like the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion.

The adventure ended in Emerald City, where Dorothy and her friends would meet the Wizard. Emerald City had gift shops and a theater for shows. There was also a special "hot air balloon" ride, which was actually a modified ski lift. It gave visitors amazing views of the park and mountains. The park even had a small museum with props and costumes from the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie. This included one of Judy Garland's Dorothy dresses.

In its first year, the Land of Oz was very popular. On opening day in 1970, 4,000 people visited! However, the park faced challenges. Grover Robbins, one of the main creators, passed away a few months before it opened. The company that owned the park, Carolina Caribbean Corp (CCC), also ran into financial problems.

Park Closure

On December 28, 1975, a fire broke out at the Emerald City Amphitheater and nearby gift shops. Two buildings were destroyed, along with park offices, costumes, and props. Many items were also stolen from the park's museum, including Judy Garland's Dorothy dress.

The Land of Oz was rebuilt and managed by a new company. However, it never fully recovered its original magic or popularity. The cost to fix everything was too high. The park finally closed its doors in 1980.

After closing, much of the park fell apart. Some props were damaged or stolen. But parts of the park were saved. This included most of the Yellow Brick Road, some of the Munchkin houses, and parts of the Witch's castle. For a while, a museum at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina displayed items from the park.

Re-opening for Special Events

On July 4, 1991, the park opened for one day as part of Beech Mountain's Independence Day celebration. Student actors from a local high school, who had performed The Wizard of Oz, dressed as characters to greet visitors. Guests could also see a collection of original movie costumes and props in Dorothy's house.

Over the years, the land owners began to restore parts of the park. In the mid-1990s, the "Autumn at Oz" event started as a reunion for original park employees. This event quickly became very popular with the public. By 2009, over 8,500 people attended!

The "Autumn at Oz" festival has grown a lot. It now includes all the characters from The Wizard of Oz, live shows, a museum, and an Emerald City setup. There's also a vendor fair, petting zoo, and pony rides. The money raised from this event helps to renovate and maintain the park, and add new attractions each year.

In 2011, the park hosted The International Wizard of Oz Club. Some of the original cast members from 1970 returned to share their stories. By 2013, the Land of Oz began offering "Journey with Dorothy" tours every Friday in June. In 2018, they announced even more yearly events.

The park continues to host its annual "Autumn at Oz" event. In June 2018, the park also opened for tours led by Dorothy, with some guests playing other characters. For the 80th anniversary of the 1939 movie in 2019, the park opened on Thursdays and Fridays in June, plus a few other special days.