Fans of all ages step with a smile onto the Yellow Brick Road in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The crowd-pleasing attraction introduces fans to L. Frank Baum’s connection to Aberdeen. And it serves as a lighthearted destination for those who come to the area to reflect on the impact the Dakotah territory had on Baum’s enduring legacy, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Wylie Park is a 210-acre public park that offers everything from campsites and bike rentals to miniature golf. Take a train ride or check out the small zoo. The park’s extensive grounds surround Storybook Land—itself built around a castle where performances are staged—that offers dozens of features celebrating Mother Goose rhymes and other classic stories.
Beside Storybook Land lies the wonderful Land of Oz. Here a Yellow Brick Road winds from Munchkinland to the Emerald City. Visitors see Dorothy’s Kansas farm and settings for the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman (there’s even a giant slippery slide where you can slide down his legs!). Enter the Cowardly Lion’s den, and encounter the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West deep in the haunted forest. It’s an adventure designed for both the young and the young at heart.
For our convention, we’ll first visit some of the Mother Goose sets to remember as a group the stories based on these classic rhymes that Baum included in his first book, Mother Goose in Prose. We’ll then move on to Oz for everyone to explore at their own pace. (Have you registered yet? The first 40 people to register will receive a copy of Mother Goose in Prose with selected stories that are presented in the park.)
A July afternoon in Aberdeen is bound to be hot; dress for the weather! And be sure your phone is charged or your camera is ready; opportunities for photos are found at every turn.
