Opening a theme park at the top of an actual mountain may not sound like a good idea, but in fact, it was when the Land of Oz opened in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, in 1970.
Sitting at an elevation of 5,506 feet, the “Wizard of Oz” theme park was originally created to generate the town’s year-round skiing business and celebrate one of the most beloved stories of all time. It got off to a spectacular and successful start, attracting record visitors in its first few years of operation.
Inside, parkgoers can walk a recreation of the Yellow Brick Road, meet Dorothy and other characters or even explore the park’s collection of memorabilia from the film, including Dorothy’s famous gingham dress. The theme park had just one attraction: a ski lift that was converted into a hot air balloon ride to recreate the final scene of the film.
Sadly, a catastrophic fire in 1975 destroyed much of the park and forced it to close its doors. In 1980, the Land of Oz closed for good, sitting abandoned on a mountain – but that was not meant to be the end of the Land of Oz.
Former employees, known as “Ozzies,” carry on the passion and keep the spirit of the park alive. A reunion in 1988 led to renewed interest in the park and a brief reopening in 1991. That brief return to Oz eventually led to what is now known as Autumn at Oz.
What is Autumn in Oz?
Now in its 31st year, Autumn in Oz takes place over several weekends in the fall and offers the public a rare opportunity to visit a once-abandoned theme park and directly participate in the “Wizard of Oz” story.
Eight live concerts take place in 30-minute rotations throughout the day at Autumn in Oz. There are also photo opportunities with each character, as well as stalls and food stalls. Visitors are encouraged to dress the part, and many come out dressed as their favorite characters.
Experience
So, what’s it like to go somewhere over the rainbow? I went to the mountains of North Carolina, just off the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, to find out.
The area is made up of steep, winding roads, most of which are filled with mountain homes, and a few businesses. To control the crowds, visitors must purchase timed entry tickets to visit the park — I arrived at the parking lot before my time window.
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Upon entering the mountain resort, we boarded ticket buses from the parking lot to the top of the mountain, where Oz is located. There was also the option of taking a lift chair; However, rides are not included in the park and cost $22 per person.
The journey through Oz began with a road full of signs showing the fun facts of the park. The first point of interest was the Judy Garland Memorial Overlook, a gazebo with amazing views of the mountains that pays tribute to the actress, who passed away a few months before the park opened.
The first major site visitors encounter is the Gale family farm, nestled among tall corn stalks and next to a large red barn. There is also a convenience store and a snack stand. Outside, guests can chat with Professor Marvel and watch a show featuring Dorothy and the farm hands taking place on the porch. After we were treated to a performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, we were invited to go inside and explore the Gale home.
The Gale home was as decorated as any house of the time (early 1900’s) could be. The character who portrays Aunt Em warned us of a possible storm and urged the guests to take shelter in the basement of the home. Here, we encountered a “tornado” that was simulated with amazing projection and light. We were taken back to the house and found that it had been “destroyed” by the storm. (In real life, we ended up with a mirror version of the Gale farm that used a standard funhouse effect to simulate its destruction.)
And just like that, we soon learned who we really were not Kansas again.
On our way out, we saw that the house had reached the Wicked Witch of the East and her red slippers, and we were officially in Munchkin Land – our journey down the Yellow Brick Road (made of over 40,000 bricks that are repainted every year) had now begun.
On this route, we encountered concerts and photo opportunities with “Wizard of Oz” characters, including the Scarecrow’s rendition of “If I Only Had a Sense” — this engagement made up the bulk of our time in the park. A Photo-op line was set up at the performance areas so guests could view the exhibits while waiting to take a photo with their favorite characters.
After meeting the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, it was time to enter the Haunted Forest to meet fearsome guards, flying monkeys and the Wicked Witch of the West herself.
A witch and her monkey head do a short skit here that involves audience participation (and I was pleasantly surprised to find my husband was chosen for the skit). This area was particularly interesting because it had some details from the original park, including intricate tree paintings and a towering depiction of the witch’s castle.
Our next stop on the Yellow Brick Road was a photo opportunity with the last surviving balloon from the early 1970s attraction. After walking through the poppies, it was time to go to the gates of Emerald City.
After a quick ring of the bell and walking through the gate, we came to a beautiful end to Autumn in Oz. The place had an indoor theater as well as merchandise stands and restaurants. Once we were seated inside, we were treated to a 15 minute live show showing some of the final scenes of the movie, where Dorothy and her newfound friends face off against the Wizard.
At the end of the show, guests were invited to line up on stage for a final photo, this time with the full cast. Everything in Autumn in Oz was self-guided, and visitors were free to go, choose to join or skip whatever they liked. You don’t have to stop at everything or for a photo opportunity but these options make up a big part of the Autumn at Oz experience. Stopping at each location easily brings the entire experience to about 3 hours.
Merchandise and food
There were several opportunities to purchase Land of Oz branded merchandise. There is everything from t-shirts and t-shirts to coffee mugs and magnets. At the entrance and exit of the park, you can find several vendors selling snacks, including kettle corn.
How to plan a visit to the Land of Oz
Autumn in Oz dates are announced every spring and tickets usually go on sale in the summer. This year’s Autumn at Oz event took place from:
- September 6-8
- September 13-15
- September 20-22
Saturdays are the most popular days to visit and are known to sell out, so buying your tickets in advance is highly recommended. Sign up for the Land of Oz newsletter to know when tickets go on sale the fastest. This year, general admission tickets start at $60 per person.
The event takes place rain or shine and is suitable for visitors of all ages. Since Autumn in Oz involves walking over rocks, steps and hills, wearing comfortable walking shoes is highly recommended. Unfortunately, the hilly terrain is not wheelchair friendly. The entire loop of the park is 1.5 miles.
Place of residence
The Land of Oz is located in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, which is 2 hours and 45 minutes from Charlotte.
The area around the park is mostly residential, so I recommend staying in nearby Boone or Blowing Rock – both towns are home to other attractions, restaurants and bars. In Boone, you’ll find Graystone Lodge, an Ascend Hotel Collection, a rugged lodge with free breakfast, mountain-inspired furnishings and an indoor pool. It’s also minutes away from Boone’s tourist district.
If you want to visit another park on your trip, consider heading to the Tweetsie Railroad, between Boone and Blowing Rock. The Tweetsie Railroad offers Wild West-themed fun and features a 3-mile long train ride on historic steam wagons.
Bottom line
The Land of Oz is a special place, and luckily, you don’t need ruby slippers to visit.
On the day of my Fall in Oz visit, all photo ops ran seamlessly and had minimal wait times despite the sell-out crowds. The shows have been playing, with very little time between each other. Several actors were playing the circuit at the same time, but we were able to move forward with the experience with the same actors.
The players were amazing, and it was obvious that they were professional players. Many actors traveled from places like New York City, Orlando and Nashville to work on Autumn in Oz. Seeing this once abandoned park is interesting, but the live performers are what bring this place to life.
Even as a first-time visitor with no enthusiasm for the park, the experience was magical, and the history felt really understandable. A big part of the fun was hearing the excitement among the park’s riders, many of whom dress the part and make it a tradition to visit each year. Some even visited the first park in the 1970s and returned with their children and grandchildren.
It’s true that there’s no place like home, but there’s also no place like the Land of Oz, which, against all odds (and nature), has stood the test of time.
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