Popped off I-70 & only 9 miles at 65mph so quick trip. Very helpful lady in charge. Nice setup of all the various items, good information/trivia presented. Worth the hour interruption of our trip to CO (we could have stayed longer but had schedule to keep) nice souvenir shop
Quaint town that has started a theme off of Oz. The museum was pretty nice and well organized. It had a lot of interesting items from the movie combined with interesting tidbits from the movie. Was close to the interstate and well worth the stop.
You too can go up to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz Museum at the quaint town of Wamego, Kansas! Although the museum is small, it is packed full of everything related to the theme, since there are approximately 25,000 Oz artifacts on loan from Friar Johnpaul Cafiero. This is a fun attraction for the whole family, especially if you are a Land of Oz fan.The place has a lot to offer, starting with interesting memorabilia and historical documents from L. Frank Baum's early life and his work, as well as 24 color illustrated pages from the 1st edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by artist W.W. Denslow.Here, you will also encounter more current adaptations and interpretations of the story, like the original Wizard of Oz Movie, detailed historical facts about the movie and actors, and plenty of fun paraphernalia.There is so much to see, read, watch, and enjoy in this museum! All around you there are posters, rare autographs by original actors, props used on the set of the film and from the Broadway musical Wicked, beautifully crafted costumes, the hand jeweled ruby slippers covered in over 3,500 Swarovski crystals, original flying monkey miniatures used in the film, vintage photos, rare artifacts, a variety of art pieces.And if that was not enough, at the OZ Museum you can journey down the yellow brick road and through the land of OZ, where there are life size movie characters all around you!The museum also houses a small movie theater inside where you can sit and enjoy the original Wizard of Oz film and other related documentaries.You can buy related souvenirs at the gift store. Wamego also has other small Wizard of Oz theme businesses, like the Oz Winery and Toto’s Tacoz, known as the "Oz Cluster.”On the first weekend of October, the town holds its Annual OZtoberFEST, an Oktoberfest-type celebration with an Oz theme.Rates and Admission: Standard: Adults (13 and up) $8.00, Children (ages 4-12) $5.00.Military Discount: Adults (ages 13 and up) $6.00, Children (ages 4-12) $3.00.Children ages 3 and under are always free, and Group rates are available.Located off I-70 on Kansas Highway 99
I am not an Oz fan but was brought here by people that are. It is very detailed and not overpriced. They also have a lot of neat things in the gift shop.
I was traveling back from Colorado and looking for a quick stop that didn't take me too far off the highway. Saw signs for this and googled to see how far away it was and how expensive it was. It was probably a 15 minute drive off of Interstate 70. Prices were great. $8 for adults $5 for kids (4-12). It was full of fun artifacts/facts about the movie. They also had the movie showing on continual loop. It was just a great place to stop (we probably spent an hour there) and let the kids get out and stretch their legs. For those that love wine there is an Oz winery right up the block. As an added bonus there is a fairly decent sized city park a few blocks away. This made it an added bonus road trip detour because it was a great place to eat some lunch.
This is a great museum which educates us on the making, the merchandise, and love of the Wizard of Oz! As an adult and growing up with the movie I enjoyed myself! However my kiddos weren't so interest. They did enjoy seeing the displays of the characters. We enjoy taking family who visit us!
I picked a brochure about this place in a Visitors Center on the Kansas Border. Let’s confess: we all have, deep inside, the child’s love of miracles and adventures. And who would not want to find himself in the Land of Oz?! Besides, it was in Wamego, only 10 mls North of I-70, my main drag. Upon arrival, I find Wamego is a dump, there is no other definition for a dying town like this one. The “museum” itself is the collection of “a gentlemen” as the cashier put it, which was donated to them. He, the unnamed gentlemen, just “picked a small town in Kansas” and created this museum. They have “30,000 visitors” the last year. I look around and cannot imagine where the thousands of visitors are hiding, there is nobody in sight. Admission is $8/person. I decline. I then make an attempt to lunch across the street at the Happy Cooker which turns to be an absolutely UN-eatable disaster, so I just pay and go. Never to come back.
From the street, the Oz Museum and its minimal storefront display gives little incentive to visit. However, once inside, I found a fascinating collection of Oz memorabilia which was well presented. As others have indicated, the museum is relatively small, but the hour I allotted for the visit was not nearly long enough to view the various displays. I found the video presentations, one on author L Frank Baum, and the other on the "behind the scenes" production of the movie to be a highlight. (though there are only a couple of seats available at either video screen, so most viewers have to stand). There is also a small theatre which shows the movie, which is included in the admission fee. Several displays are designed for children; but there is plenty to appeal to adults as well.
This was an amazing experience. They had so much to look at and learn about. I also loved that they had sections dedicated to each major character. I thought the whole atmosphere was amazing. I would go back again because I know that I did not see everything. I would recommend this to everyone who loves the Wizard of Oz.
This museum is filled with OZ memorabilia. It wasn't as big as we thought it would be, but it was still nice to see all the different things in the collection. Periodic life-size displays of characters from the film were also nice. The photo opp in the hot air balloon basket was a nice touch.