Follow the yellow brick road to the Mayborn Museum to see the new Wizard of Oz Education Exhibit that opened Saturday.
The interactive display, based on the bestselling book and classic movie, made it's debut at Miami Children's Museum. Created in 2010 at the Miami Museum with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, it’s traveled city to city and now landed in Waco.
Mayborn’s Visitor Services Manager Jess Outten said the museum pounced on the opportunity to share the magic of Oz with a new generation.
“When the exhibit popped upon our radar we thought it was super cool,” Outten said. “All of us here are fans of the Wizard of Oz, so we decided to bring it in.”
Families who attended the opening of the exhibit learned lessons as they walked from the Gale Farm, to Munchkin Land, to the Emerald City and the Witch's Castle. Some of the lessons focus on helping kids develop skills in decision-making, overcoming physical challenges and reflecting on the world around them.
“They’re timeless lessons about teamwork and working through hardships and learning how to come out on top despite everything stacked against you,” Outten said. “And those things never go away. They’re always going to be relevant.”
Outten said she first saw the ground-breaking fantasy film when she was 5 or 6 years old. She said she’s reflected on how the movie has impacted her as well as multiple generations of American children.
"I think the parents enjoy it just as much as the kids,” Outten said. “The parents came to watch their kids learn those lessons that they remember when they were children."
Outten said the exhibit's target age group is 2 to 12, but those interested in the display shouldn’t click their heels and go home. The museum states on their website that guests of all ages are welcome. One adult, Alissa Coronado, took her two daughters to partake in the fun of Oz as she reminisced her childhood.
“I think if you have children, you should definitely come check it out,” Coronado said.
Anyone interested in viewing the Wizard of Oz exhibit while it’s in Central Texas can swing by the museum on the Baylor University campus through May 7th. For information about Mayborn’s newest attraction, you can visit their website.
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