The Abandoned "Land of Oz" Theme Park Is Reopening

From House Beautiful

Updated Post: May 3, 2018 at 3 p.m. EST

People have been fascinated by North Carolina's shuttered theme park, Land of Oz, for years, and this summer, fans can finally see it in all its yellow-brick-road-that-time-forgot glory - for six days only.

The park's offering one-hour guided tours every Friday this June, led by none other than Dorothy herself. This isn't just a look at the park that time forgot - though its owners are quick to clarify that it's not abandoned, it's just been "hibernating" for the past 35 years, the Charlotte Observer reported. It's a mix of taking in the park's sights ... and doing some live action role playing.

PLAN YOUR TRIP Land Of Oz, Beech Mountain, NC; tripadvisor.com

"You or other members in your group are randomly selected to play the characters of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Witch and Glinda. This is a completely immersive interactive experience," the Land Of Oz website states.

So basically, if you're making the trek this summer, you might as well go all out, green face paint and all. Tickets are available at landofoznc.com.

Original Post: May 9, 2017 at 3:24 p.m. EST

Usually, theme parks are full of vibrant colors and tourists, but the "Land of Oz" in Beech Mountain, North Carolina attracts people for the opposite reasons. It first opened back in 1970, but closed after the owner passed away in 1980 and a fire burned down the Emerald City. Today, however, it's the worn out Yellow Brick Road and eerie atmosphere that draws visitors.

During most days, the gates are locked up and closed to the public. But this year, the park is opening its doors for tours on Fridays in June. That means on June 2, 9, 16, 23 or 30 you can take a 45 to 60 minute tour by Dorothy herself, and you'll likely run into a few more iconic characters on your journey too.

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Your guide will take you down that iconic yellow path, which winds all the way to the top of Beech Mountain and is made of 44,000 yellow bricks. But due to wear and tear, the path is a far cry from the movie recreation it was back in its heyday. Clearly, this is a different kind of Oz. But if that's your kind of speed, tickets are on sale now for $25 and you won't want to miss it.

Here's a peek at what the park looked like the last time it was open, but we'll have to wait until June to see what's changed since then.

h/t Travel + Leisure]

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