Once-Abandoned Land of Oz Theme Park Reopening to Celebrate 80th Anniversary of Movie Classic
A once-abandoned amusement park based on The Wizard of Oz is set to re-open this summer to mark 80 years since the movie classic was released. Land of Oz, in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, opened in 1970, and was designed as a way of bringing guests to the ski resort outside of the winter season. Guests could experience their favorite moments from the Oscar-winning movie, such as going inside Dorothys house, walking down the yellow brick road and visiting the wizard in Emerald City.
But five years after opening, the company filed for bankruptcy and that same year, the Emerald City Amphitheater and gift shops caught fire, leading to two buildings being destroyed, along with costumes, equipment and props.
The park fell into disrepair and closed in 1980 but this summer, to mark the movies 80th anniversary, two special events will be held in the park. The interactive Journey with Dorothy experience will allow visitors the chance to play a character from the movie and explore the park with Dorothy as a guide, according to the Land of Oz website. Here’s the complete story from News Week
