Several years ago, my dad was sent on a job to Kansas where he found out about a The Wizard of Oz museum. Ever since then, it’s been on my mom’s bucket list since The Wizard of Oz is her favorite movie of all time. As a birthday present, she and I visited Wamego, Kansas (as part of a bigger Midwestern road trip) to do all things Oz.
Wamego Kansas is located just off of Interstate 70, on Highway 99 on “The Road to Oz”. No, I’m not kidding. If you look at Google and watch for signs, you will literally drive on The Road to Oz Highway. All of these sights are within the small downtown area, so you can park once (for free!) and easily walk between each of these places.
Things to Do in Wamego, Kansas
If you love all things The Wizard of Oz, here’s the best things to do in Wamego, Kansas.
Oz Museum
The Oz Museum was the main reason Wamego, Kansas got added to our itinerary. This museum boasts over two thousand artifacts and memorabilia from not only the movie, but also the books that the movie was based on. What surprised me the most was how well put together everything was.
I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t have high hopes for this museum. I thought it would be over the top cheesy and a waste of a drive (keep in mind, our entire road trip from Wisconsin was built around this destination). I was actually very impressed with their collection. It’s a small building and it doesn’t take long to see their collection, but it was so well organized and it’s clear how passionate the owners are about this collection.
Inside the museum, they also have a small theater where they play The Wizard of Oz on a continuous loop. We stayed for a bit because we happened to be there for what I consider to be the best part of the movie (although my mom would have been content to sit there and watch the entire movie).
One important note. There will be children in the museum and depending on the family it can ruin the experience. When you purchase a ticket, it is good for the whole day. We were going through the museum and there was a family with very loud children and it was really making the experience unenjoyable. Since your tickets will be good all day, don’t be afraid to leave and come back later. There were still some loud children when we returned, but it was still better than the first group.
Entrance to the museum is $10 for adults.
Oz Winery
Just one block away from the Oz Museum is the Oz Winery. Here’s some adult fun in Wamego, Kansas.
All of their wines are named after some aspect from The Wizard of Oz. Each visitor is allowed two free samples, or you can sit down and have a flight of either three or five wines. Visit this after the Oz museum. You’ll be thankful that it’s adults only in here.
The shop also sells cheese, chocolates, and other local goodies. It’s not just wine, but the wine was the main reason we stopped here.
Yellow Brick Road
Directly across the street from the Oz Museum is an alleyway that is the start of the Yellow Brick Road. This short path leads from the main street to the city park two blocks away. We stopped here just long enough to walk the path and get a photo.
Find All of the Totos
All along the streets of Wamego, you’ll pass statues of the famous dog. There are 15 of these statues, each one different from the one before it. My favorite was “Somewhere Over the Reading Rainbow” which can be found just outside the city library.
Toto’s TacOz
It sounds absolutely ridiculous, but Wamego, Kansas has a The Wizard of Oz themed Mexican restaurant. I was skeptical (because it just sounds so cheesy), but we were in Wamego doing all things Oz, so we had to stop in. The tacos were fantastic and it was tied for my favorite meal of the road trip.
How Long Do You Need in Wamego?
You can easily do the Oz highlights in a few hours. We started our day in Omaha, drove for about three hours, explored Wamego, and ended our day in Manhattan, KS (just a short drive away).
When Should You Visit Wamego?
You can visit all year round since most of what you’ll see is indoors. However, if you want even more Oz, consider visiting in October, when Wamego holds their Oztoberfest.
Where Should You Stay?
There are a few hotels in Wamego, but for more options consider looking a bit further afield. We stayed in Manhattan, Kansas, which was a twenty minute drive west of Wamego, simply because we had more options.
Connections to Other Cities
Manhattan, KS – 15 miles, 20 minutes
Topeka, KS – 45 miles, 45 minutes
Kansas City – 106 miles, 90 minutes
St. Louis – 350 miles, 5 hours
Omaha – 166 miles, 3 hours
Continue Your Adventure
Nearby: Admittedly, Wamego, Kansas is far away from a lot of other sights, but with some driving, you can visit some cool cities. In three hours, you can be in Omaha, Nebraska and in five hours, you can be in St. Louis, Missouri.
Further away: For a longer drive, you’ll hit the heart of the Midwest. Visit Chicago or head just a bit further east to Indiana Dunes National Park.
Great Bd trip! Thanks kiddo!