WAMEGO, Kan. — While Kansas might have heard all "The Wizard of Oz" jokes, there's no escaping it.
"We are a state that is internationally known because of our link to Dorothy and Oz,” said Wamego’s tourism and events director Cory Reeves.
Wamego is the city where the Oz Museum is based, an almost two-hour drive from Kansas City, Missouri.
Reeves says the success of "Wicked" has revived people's interest in Oz and made the Oz Museum more popular.
They've noticed its magic too. Visitors are now younger than they used to be.
"We like to celebrate all things Oz, and 'Wicked' is an important piece of that,” said Clint Stueve, executive director at the Oz Museum. "Every generation has taken its opportunity to recraft that story to better fit their needs, and 'Wicked' is just another piece of that."
Next year, they're preparing for a new kind of twist in who walks through their doors
With "Wicked" being so popular and Kansas being known internationally for "The Wizard of Oz," they hope many World Cup visitors will drive two hours west to see all of that.
"We really are expecting a large increase in visitation this year,” Stueve said.
Jake Trummer's restaurant, Friendship House, also hopes to benefit from the possible boost. It is easy to find.
"Just follow the Yellow Brick Road,” Trummer said. “We're planning to be very busy."
"We're planning for, I guess, a best-case scenario. And even if it turns out to be a little bit less, it'll still be an amazing summer for us,” Reeves said.
KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
—
