The Land of Oz

 We spent several hours in Wamego KS Thursday following the Yellow Brick Road.

I noticed billboards along a stretch of Interstate 70 advertising The Land of OZ in Wamego KS. Luckily, we needed a geocache in that county, so Wamego became a destination.

How did Wamego KS become the Land of Oz? According to the scant info I could find on the Oz Museum web page: 

So how did it all get started? Well, as Dorothy says, “there’s no place like home”. What words could be more appropriate when describing the dream of a small community that literally built a museum out of a rainbow's notion? It took the brains of a small group of leaders, the heart for what L. Frank Baum began in 1900 as a simple children's book, and the courage to take on the task of constructing a home for over 2,000 artifacts dating from 1900 to present day.

The OZ Museum was built with a major grant from the State of Kansas and the generosity of the people of this small community, who also provided thousands of hours of volunteer time. Today, the OZ Museum still heavily relies on the support of its loyal fan base and donors. To be a part of the OZ legacy, visit the membership page to learn how you can get involved and help preserve our tribute to the legendary world of OZ.

We did not visit the museum, but I wish I had stopped in the gift shop...

murals and info along the alley walls of the Yellow Brick Road

Toto did not really care if he was in Kansas or The Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him.

for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.

Tin Man and Cowardly Lion were also featured in murals

There's no place like home.

our geocaching reward for exploring downtown Wamego

another Wizard of Oz character in mural format

The town (population 4846) has 18 Toto statues. We found maybe 10 of them. Each was named and uniquely painted. Some were along Main Street and others in the nearby park. Several were placed at businesses.

and our second geocaching reward related to 

The Land of Oz

If you are near Topeka or Manhattan KS, I highly recommend a short drive off Interstate 70 and a visit to Wamego, because there is even MORE to attract tourists!