I was not a big fan of The Wizard of Oz growing up. I found it scary but as I got older I have enjoyed the movie. It helps to have friends that love the movie.
When I heard that Oconomowoc created statues to honor the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz debut in their town, I knew I had to get down there to see them. Even though we are down in that general vicinity a couple of times a year, we never actually get to Oconomowoc. I informed the hubby we were stopping on our way from Cedar Rapids to Milwaukee.
Oconomowoc was chosen as to show the movie debut of The Wizard. Kenosha and Cape Cod were also test markets for the movie and despite what Kenosha claims, the first official showing was in Oconomowoc on October 7th, 1939.
The statues are in a plaza between two buildings -- the a municipal building and a restaurant. If you are not looking for it you will miss it. I was expecting a large open plaza and we missed it when we drove by. We actually found it by driving in the parking lot behind the restaurants and municipal building and saw one of the statues. We parked on the side street and walked to the plaza.
Out in front of the police station, is a plaque commemorating the movie premier and the mayor in the Wizard of Oz.
Then you follow the yellow brick road into Oz Plaza. Dorothy, the lion, the tin man, Toto and the scarecrow greet you.
The wicked witch is behind Dorothy and her friends facing the parking lot. You actually walk past the outdoor seating of the restaurant to see her. There is also a large mural on the side of the restaurant building.
It was nice little stretch break even if it was a bit hard to find. If you are any sort of fan of The Wizard of Oz, it is definitely worth the drive to check out Oz Plaza. Then take some time to explore downtown Oconomowoc. It looks to have a lot of cute shops and restaurants plus there's a lake.
No comments:
Post a Comment