Grab Those Ruby Slippers and Travel The Yellow Brick Road To The Land of Oz In Beech Mountain, NC

Posted on | 2 Comments

Have you ever wanted to walk the Yellow Brick Road to the Land of Oz? Well, your chance to walk that Yellow Brick Road, meet Dorothy, and so much more about three hours from Upstate, SC. We have all the details on what to expect, where to eat, and where to stay when you head to the Land of Oz the last three weekends in September 2024.

This review is a combination of trips in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Thank you to the Land of Oz for providing media tickets so we could write this review.

A trip to the town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, is still a great option, even if a trip to Oz isn’t in the plans for your family. You can Discover The Magic Of This Mountain Top Town Anytime Of Year.

Thank you to the Land of Oz for providing access to the famed themed park so we could bring this story to our readers.

How Did We End Up with a Land of Oz Just 3 Hours from Greenville, SC?

Over a hundred years ago, a children’s literature writer named L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story that has stood the test of time. Twenty years after Baum’s death in 1919, The Wizard of Oz movie was released. Believe it or not, the movie was not a huge hit. They barely recovered their investment of nearly three million dollars. It wasn’t until almost twenty years after the movie’s release that it was broadcast on TV, which reignited interest in the movie.

In 1970, The Land Of Oz was opened under the guidance of the same man responsible for the Tweetsie Railroad. The park attracted 4,000 visitors on opening day and continued that success for the first year. Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate events led to the closing of the park a decade after it opened, then the park fell into disrepair and only occasionally hosted private events.

Elphaba's legs poking out from under the house at the Land of Oz

The Reopening Of The Land Of Oz On Beech Mountain

Social media posts from urban explorers with photos of overgrown yellow brick paths and dilapidated structures were partially responsible for the re-interest in The Land Of Oz. Starting in 1988, a reunion of original park employees, known as the “Ozzies,” ignited the yearly re-openings, which has since become known as the Autumn at Oz Festival. The Land of Oz is now owned and operated by the Leidy family, under the artistic direction of Sean Barrett.

We were invited to experience the magic that is The Land Of Oz a couple of times over the past few years and as you can probably guess, it’s magical! Some of the best parts of our trips have been not only seeing our kids and their excitement but also watching all the adults totally get into it, taking photos with all the characters, and really having fun. The Land of Oz appeals to any age.


What You Need to Know about the Land of Oz Before You Head To Beech Mountain

The Land of Oz is only open a handful of times a year. It traditionally opens only for three weekends in September for Autumn in Oz.

If you are lucky enough to score tickets to this event, pack your bags and get ready to enjoy an adventure in a beautiful mountaintop town.

Yellow brick road at the Land of Oz in North Carolina

What to Wear: Your Wizard of Oz-Themed Costumes

If you are so inclined, you’ll need to plan your wardrobe for the trip. Dressing for the occasion isn’t mandatory. However, it makes it so much more fun. Dressing up doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can mean Wizard of Oz T-shirts, a store-bought costume, or an inspired outfit.

I saw lots of blue gingham and sparkly red shoes being worn, a nod to Judy Garland’s costume in The Wizard Of Oz. People who were dressed for the occasion definitely had more fun interacting with the characters but those of us who didn’t also really enjoyed watching them!

My daughters were Dorothy last Halloween and had the costumes already so they wore them for the media day and we had such a blast. They were so cute posing with Dorothy and skipping through Oz.

Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz at the Land of Oz

Where to Stay Near Beech Mountain

The Pinnacle Inn is right on Beech Mountain and a great option if you want to be nearby to the Land of Oz. This condominium and rental property are right next to the Land of Oz parking area, making it easier to get there early. Driving times are deceptive on the mountain because the speed limit is slow for safety reasons. Something that is only a few miles away might be a 20-minute drive time.

Many of the rooms are spacious and well-equipped with balconies that overlook the mountains and ski resort. The property includes an all-weather activity center with a pool, sauna, hot tub, and workout room. There was also a mini-golf course, shuffleboard, tennis, and a playground.

You can also look for AirBnBs nearby either on Beech Mountain or in Banner Elk at the bottom of the mountain. We really enjoyed this place.


Where to Eat: Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria

On our first night on Beech Mountain, we had dinner at The Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria. The restaurant is run by two brothers who are second-generation restaurateurs. The menu has something for everyone, and they serve large portions at a reasonable price. We enjoyed pizza, hot wings, and a Greek salad. The very first thing I noticed when I took a bite of pizza was the sauce. Of course, no one wants to hear a New Yorker talking about the pizza from back home, so I’ll skip that as a courtesy to our readers. The sauce is homemade from crushed tomatoes. It tastes fresh and light, and you can tell from the first bite.

Another thing I noticed was everyone working at Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria was focused on helping the guests, and they seemed genuinely happy to do so, from the people taking care of the trash cans to the people helping with the orders.


The Big Day: Visiting The Land of Oz on Beech Mountain

Checking In and Getting Up the Mountain

When you purchase your tickets, you have to choose a timed entry. This is because the operators of the theme park want you to have a great experience without a ton of people. You can arrive an hour before your ticket time and up to 30 minutes after. So, for example, if your ticket time is 1pm, you can arrive at Noon or as late as 1:30 pm.

You can stay in Oz as long as you like until it closes for the day. Certainly plan your trip with this knowledge in mind and know that there is usually construction delays or football games in the area that may slow you down.

Once you park (just follow the signs), you can either choose a shuttle bus to take you up to the Land of Oz or pay an extra $17 for the chair lift, which gets you beautiful views all the way up and down.

The park utilizes small charter-style buses and converted school buses used for other seasonal events. The trip up is about a 15-minute ride.

Scenic chair lift at The Land of OZ in Beech Mountain, North Carolina

To Get to Oz First You Have to Go to Kansas

Once you get off the chair lift or shuttle bus, you’ll enter another line, which leads you into the park, past the fountain, and onto a short path that walks you through the history of the park. It’s pretty fascinating!

You will know you have arrived in Kansas when you Professor Marvel waiting to greet visitors. This section has several vendors, The Gale home, the farm, and of course, Professor Marvel. Try to get a good seat on the hay bales in front of the barn; this is where the show will start. The farmhands perform a dance routine with Dorothy, which starts off a rotation of three short vignette shows in different parts of Kansas and then you will enter the Gale home.

Land of Oz entrance
Dorothy singing at the Land of Oz

Right after the barn show is when Dorothy walks through the crowd and next to the Gale house and sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” so if you love that song, this is when it happens.

Once you enter the Gale home, you’ll walk through the house (which really looks like a home where people live) and Auntie Em will usher you into the storm cellar to escape the approaching tornado where you’ll walk through switchbacks and brightly colored murals. It’s really neat! You’ll feel like you’re actually in a house that went through a tornado since the floors are slanted and the rooms are a disaster. Think of your kid’s room. That’s what those rooms look like.

When you exit at the other end, you will be in Oz.

Tornado experience at the Land of OZ in Beech Mountain, North Carolina

In 2023, the Land of Oz added several live performances throughout your experience. There will be performances by several of the characters that happen every 10-15 minutes so if you miss it, don’t worry, it will happen again shortly.

This was some of our very favorite parts of the entire experience.

When you leave the Gale house after the tornado, the Wicked Witch of the West will be waiting with lots of hilarious insults. We saw one little girl burst into tears because she was scared so be aware if you have frightened little ones. I was laughing so hard at her insults – they were great.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Your journey on the yellow brick road consists of photo opportunities with characters including Glinda the Good Witch, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Wicked Witch of the West & Flying Monkeys. You will also encounter Winkies.

This is where all the performances with Dorothy and the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow take place. It was such a blast to watch them sing and dance. Guests are also given opportunities to wait in line for photos with the characters.

Dorothy and the Scarecrow at the Land of Oz
Dorothy and the Scarecrow

This part of the tour takes about an hour just depending on if you want to wait in line for pictures. There are also restrooms along the Yellow Brick Road just before you get to the Wicked Witch and her monkey assistant, who are hilarious. I loved their little show.

Fun Tips for Photos with the Characters

Get the best reactions if you want to make the most of the photo opportunities with characters, lines from the movie, or funny out-of-character interactions. These cast members pose all day long with guests, and entertaining them with your knowledge of the movie will pay off on film. Take your time and interact with the characters. They will come up with witty responses on the spot, making the experience all the more magical.

Tin Man at the Land of Oz
The Tin Man
  • I asked the Scarecrow for his phone number on my cell phone, joking he was “my type”.
  • My shirt had the Wicked Witch on it, so when I had the meet and greet with her I told her I didn’t like competition and we joked about it. Then I asked her to share her secrets.
  • Because of my shirt and the witch hat I was wearing, the flying monkeys ran up to me making heart shapes with their hands. 
  • I wish I had thought to sit at the crystal ball with Professor Marvel.
  • I asked the Tin Man to help me find a heart and he was just the sweetest. I may have fallen a little bit in love with him.

Your Final Destination: Emerald City

After you’ve traveled the yellow brick road, you’ll come upon the gate to the Emerald City. You’ll need to ring the bell to gain entrance. After you have satisfied the gatekeeper with your answers, the Emerald City awaits. This area has a tent-enclosed stage where characters recreate the last scene in the movie with the Wizard, and the cast will pose for photos with guests. You will even get to meet the Wizard and your other favorite characters.

You will also find portable restrooms, souvenir vendors, and food vendors here. You can also choose to ascend several flights of stairs to the Over the Rainbow overlook where you’ll stand on a platform more than 5,000 feet above sea level and get an extraordinary view on a clear day of five states! It’s so gorgeous. The stairs are not stroller-friendly and there are several flights so if you have health issues, you may want to choose to hang out in the Emerald City.

Meeting the Wizard in the Land of Oz
Emerald City Show

Once you exit the Emerald City, it’s back on the shuttle bus to the bottom of the mountain.  Depending on your interactions with characters, it should take approximately two hours to tour the Land of Oz. 


Hiking Emerald Mountain

If you want to explore Emerald Mountain on foot or bike, there are eight different trails in the Emerald Outback Trail System. The trails range from easy to advanced, and some trails serve as cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails in the winter months. Experiencing Autumn in Oz while the leaves begin to change color, and then enjoying a nice hike, is a win-win.

If you choose to do this, please be mindful to stay on the marked trails. After the park originally closed, the family that owned the mountain started selling parcels off for homes to be built. No one ever expected the Land of Oz to be resurrected, and now residents of Emerald Mountain are very patient with tourists, so please respect that. 

For more information on the trails and anything Beech Mountain-related, I encourage you to stop into the Beech Mountain Visitors Center when you enter the town.


Tips on Visiting Land of Oz Theme Park

Get your tickets immediately when they go on sale June 2024 as they will sell out fast. There is a Facebook group to check for verified resale tickets.

Once you arrive in Kansas, you’ll see an area with portable restrooms. This is a good place to make a bathroom stop. Lines can be long for the shuttle and then once you get up on top of the mountain before you enter the Land of Oz so taking bathroom breaks is a good idea.

Depending on your cell carrier, you will not have a cell signal at the top. If you don’t have a signal, or even if you do, turn your phone to airplane mode to conserve battery. If your phone is trying to find a signal the whole time, it will kill your battery.

Land of Oz is not stroller-friendly due to the uneven paths and steps so leave the stroller at home. We saw families trying to use them and they had a rough time.

Pets are not allowed.

It is suggested that you arrive 30-45 minutes before your ticketed time in order to have time to get up the mountain in the shuttle.


Info & FAQ For The 2023 Autumn At Oz Festival

  • 2024 Autumn At Oz Dates
    • Weekend One: September 6th-8th, 2024
    • Weekend Two: September 13th-15th, 2024
    • Weekend Three: September 20th-22nd, 2024
  • 2024 Ticket Prices For Autumn At Oz
    • General Admission for 2024 TBA (Children 2 & Under Free)
  • Tickets go on sale in June and will likely sell out fast

Other Things to Do in the Area

The High County of North Carolina is a mecca of all things outdoors. These are some of our favorite things to do there:

Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain is just incredible. There are top-notch, strenuous trails for the adventurers in your family but also lots of great picnic spots, the Mile High Swinging Bridge, a nature center with bears, bald eagles, elk, and otters, a beautiful indoor conservation and education center with a theater and daily programming.

There are Keeper Talks about the animals housed there and the Jr Ranger Program is a lot of fun to do. You have to purchase tickets online and be sure to do so a few days in advance as this place is super popular during September when Land of Oz is happening.

Hiking Grandfather Mountain

Read our KA review of Grandfather Mountain for your next sky-high adventure!

Blowing Rock

The little town of nearby Blowing Rock is super cute. There are great restaurants, ice cream places, shopping, and a great playground right in the middle of town. There is a hiking trail to Glen Burney Falls that starts behind the playground.

Moses Cone Manor

An old, stately manor sits on this property that has miles of trails and beautiful places to rest and enjoy the views. We really enjoyed our hike to Flat Top Firetower. It’s a moderate 5-mile trail and you can climb the fire tower, although it has open sides at the top so hang onto little kids.

6570 Blue Ridge Pkwy, Blowing Rock, NC

Original Mast General Store

The very first Mast General Store, built in 1883, is located in nearby Valle Crucis. It’s so neat to see and still has a working post office on site. The Mast General Annex is 2/10 of a mile down the road and they have tons of the signature candy barrels.

3565 Hwy 194 S, Sugar Grove, NC

The original Mast General Store
Original Mast General Store

Linville Falls Visitor Center

You can hike around the visitors center and into the gorge to get to the mighty Linville Falls. It’s a tough trail because of the elevation but you get to the bottom of the Linville River and see the beautiful waterfall.

Warrior Lane, Marion, NC 

Wilderness Alpine Coaster

This is the only thing we have not done on this list although we’d love to do it because we love mountain coasters! This is the only mountain coaster in Western NC and you control how fast or slow you go. There’s also an adventure ropes course at the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster in Banner Elk.

3265 Tynecastle Hwy, Banner Elk, NC

Land of Oz
1007 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604


Kidding Around's Travel Guide to North Carolina

Check out our NC Travel Guide, with dozens of places to visit, things to do, and adventures to embark on!


About the Author
Kristina Hernandez is a mom of two girls, freelance writer and photographer. Originally from New Jersey, she is in love with the Upstate and could not imagine raising her kids anywhere else. She enjoys hiking to waterfalls, kayaking, camping, cooking, and exploring all that Greenville has to offer. And she really loves baby goats. Follow her on Instagram at @scadventurer.

Sign up for our email newsletter.

Subscribe
Notify of

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Tiffannie Hedin
9 months ago

Love so this great info. Thank you Melanie! What are the ticket times for these weekends? Is each day the same? What time do the tickets go on sale?