For "Wizard of Oz" fans, a trip to Maine, rather than Kansas may be a great way to see "Oz" related memorabilia in the world's largest display, according to USA Today.
The exhibit just opened at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, and features Dorothy's blue gingham dress, worn by Judy Garland in the film, a pair of ruby slippers and a flying monkey.
The huge display has 107 pieces that include props from various "Wizard of Oz" films, as well as first-edition copies of the original book. The exhibit also includes movie posters and a large collection of other various items that any "Oz" fan will enjoy.
The exhibit is scheduled to run through March.
"It's one of these pop culture things that really has held on," Willard Carroll, a filmmaker from Camden, near the museum, who is the owner of the items on display, along with his longtime partner. He has collected over 100,000 "Oz" items since the age of 10, when he first became interested in the story. "There are times it's spiked, and it's spiking now because of the 75th anniversary."
In addition to the 1939 film, there was a Broadway show based on the books, "Wicked," as well as a film that was released earlier this year, "Oz, the Great and Powerful," which was intended as a prequel to the 1939 film.
"This exhibit is a celebration of a great movie that Mother was privileged to be part of," Hamilton Meserve, the son of the late Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the film, said. "To have it up here in my backyard is kind of exciting.
"And the Farnsworth is a prestigious name, so that validates what they're doing," he added.
The story began with the book by Baum, which has spun off into numerous books and films.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
