Opening a theme park at the literal top of a mountain may not sound like a good idea, but in fact, that was just the case when the Land of Oz debuted in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, in 1970.
Sitting at an elevation of 5,506 feet, the “Wizard of Oz”-themed park was initially created to generate year-round business for the ski resort town and celebrate one of the most beloved stories of all time. It launched to great fanfare and success, attracting record-breaking numbers of visitors in its first few years of operation.
Inside, parkgoers could walk a re-creation of the Yellow Brick Road, meet Dorothy and other characters or even peruse the park’s collection of purchased memorabilia from the film, including Dorothy’s iconic gingham dress. The theme park housed just one attraction: a ski lift that was turned into an artificial balloon ride to re-create the film’s iconic final scene.
Sadly, a catastrophic fire in 1975 devastated much of the park and forced it to shutter its doors. By 1980, the Land of Oz closed for good, sitting abandoned atop the mountain — but that wasn’t meant to be the end of the Land of Oz.
Former employees, known as “Ozzies,” carried on the passion and kept the park’s spirit alive. A reunion in 1988 led to newfound interest in the park and a brief reopening in 1991. That short return to Oz eventually led to what is now known as Autumn at Oz.
What is Autumn at Oz?
Now in its 31st year, Autumn at Oz takes place several weekends each fall and gives the public the rare opportunity to visit the once-abandoned theme park and directly participate in the “Wizard of Oz” story.
Eight live performances take place in 30-minute rotations throughout the day during Autumn at Oz. There are also photo opportunities with each character, as well as merchandise stalls and food stalls. Guests are encouraged to dress the part, and many come decked out as their favorite characters.
The experience
So, what is it like to head somewhere over the rainbow? I ventured to the mountains of North Carolina, just off of the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, to find out.
The area is made up of steep, winding roads that are mostly lined with mountain homes, along with a few businesses. To manage crowds, guests must purchase timed entry tickets to visit the park — I arrived at the parking lot ahead of my time window.
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Upon check-in to the mountain resort, we boarded shuttle buses that take ticket holders from the parking lot to the top of the mountain, where Oz is. There was also an option to take a chair lift; however, the ride isn’t included in park admission and costs $22 per person.
The journey through Oz began with a path peppered with signs listing fun park facts. The first point of interest was the Judy Garland Memorial Overlook, a gazebo with stunning mountain views that pays tribute to the actress, who passed just months before the park would open.
The first major scene guests encounter is a recreation of the Gale family farm, which is set amid tall cornstalks and near a big red barn. There’s also a merchandise boutique and a snack stand. Outside, guests can interact with Professor Marvel and watch a show featuring Dorothy and the farmhands that takes place on the porch. After we were treated to a “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” performance, we were invited to come inside and explore the Gale home.
The Gale home was decorated much like any house of that time period (around the early 1900s) would be. A character portraying Aunt Em warned us of a potential tornado and urged guests to take shelter in the home’s basement. Here, we encountered a “tornado” that was simulated with projections and dramatic lighting. We were then ushered back up into the house and found that it had been “destroyed” by the storm. (In real life, we exited into a mirrored version of the Gale farm that used a familiar funhouse effect to mimic its destruction.)
And just like that, we quickly learned that we were definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Upon exiting, we saw that the house had landed on 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 up of over 40,000 bricks that are repainted every year) had now begun.
Along this route, we encountered performances and photo opportunities with “Wizard of Oz” characters, including a rendition of the Scarecrow’s “If I Only Had a Brain” — these interactions made up the bulk of our time at the park. Photo-op queues were set up across from performance locations so guests could watch shows while waiting to snap a photo with their favorite characters.
After meeting the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, it was time to head into the Haunted Forest to encounter the ominous guards, flying monkeys and the Wicked Witch of the West herself.
The witch and her head monkey performed a short show here that involved audience participation (and I was pleasantly surprised to find my husband chosen for said skit). This area was a particular treat because it has some details from the original park, including intricate tree carvings and a towering sculpture of the witch’s castle.
Our next stop along the Yellow Brick Road was a photo opportunity with the last surviving balloon from the original 1970s ski lift attraction. After walking through poppies, it was time to head to the gates of Emerald City.
After a quick ring of the bell and journey through the gate, we arrived at the grand finale of Autumn at Oz. This area featured an indoor theater along with merchandise stands and food kiosks. Once seated inside, we were treated to a 15-minute live show depicting some of the movie’s final scenes, when Dorothy and her newfound friends confront the Wizard.
At the show’s end, guests were invited to queue on the stage to take one final photo, this time with the full cast. The entire Autumn at Oz experience was self-guided, and guests were free to move at their own pace, choosing to partake in or skip whatever they liked. It’s not required to stop at each of the performances or photo opportunities but these options do make up most of the Autumn at Oz experience. Stopping at each can easily bring the entire experience to around 3 hours.
Merchandise and food
There were several opportunities to shop for Land of Oz branded merchandise. There’s everything from T-shirts and sweatshirts 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
Dates for Autumn at Oz are announced each spring and tickets usually go on sale during the summer. This year’s Autumn at Oz event took place from:
- Sept. 6-8
- Sept. 13-15
- Sept. 20 -22
Saturdays are especially popular days to visit and are known to sell out, so purchasing your tickets in advance is highly recommended. Sign up for the Land of Oz newsletter to know when tickets will go on sale as soon as possible. This year, general admission tickets started at $60 per person.
The event happens rain or shine and is appropriate for guests of all ages. Since Autumn at Oz involves trekking over gravel, stairs and hills, wearing comfortable walking shoes is highly recommended. Unfortunately, the mountainous terrain is not ideal for people who use wheelchairs. The entire loop of the park is around 1.5 miles.
Where to stay
Land of Oz is in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, which is around 2 hours and 45 minutes from Charlotte.
The area surrounding the park is mostly comprised of private homes, so I recommend staying in nearby Boone or Blowing Rock — both cities are home to a number of other attractions, restaurants and breweries. In Boone, you’ll also find Graystone Lodge, Ascend Hotel Collection, a solid accommodation choice with free breakfast, mountain-inspired furnishings and an indoor pool. It’s also minutes away from downtown Boone’s tourist district.
If you want to tack on another park visit to your trip, consider a detour to Tweetsie Railroad, located between Boone and Blowing Rock. Tweetsie Railroad offers Wild West-themed fun and features a 3-mile-long train ride on historic steam locomotives.
Bottom line
The Land of Oz is a special place, and luckily, you don’t need ruby slippers to visit.
During the day of my visit to Autumn at Oz, all photo ops were run seamlessly and had minimal wait times despite the sold-out crowds. Shows were continually running, with very little lag time between each. Several cast members were performing the circuit at once, but we managed to progress through the experience with the same cast.
The actors were incredible, and it was evident they were professional performers. Many cast members had traveled from places like New York City, Orlando and Nashville to work at Autumn at Oz. Seeing the formerly abandoned park is fascinating, but the live performers are the ones who truly bring the destination to life.
Even as a first-time visitor with no nostalgia for the park, the experience was magical, and the history felt truly palpable. A big part of the fun was feeling the excitement among parkgoers, many of whom dress the part and make it a tradition to visit year after year. Some had even visited the original 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 seemingly all odds (and nature), has stood the test of time.
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