Skip down the Yellow Brick Road with author and historian Tim Hollis
as you uncover the history of this beloved mountaintop attraction.
In 1966, North Carolina tourism moguls Grover, Harry, and Spencer
Robbins began exploring ways to utilize their new ski facilities atop
Beech Mountain during the summer. They brought in their associate Jack
Pentes to come up with an idea. As a long-time fan of The Wizard of Oz,
Pentes planned and developed the Land of Oz theme park, opening in June
1970. The park did not resemble the famous 1939 MGM movie or the Oz as
depicted in L. Frank Baum's book. Instead, Pentes interpreted his own
vision of Oz, with a comical Wicked Witch and a wizard who did not turn
out to be a fake. The Land of Oz closed after its 1980 operating season
and was left to deteriorate. Since 1990, however, its remnants have been
secured and restored. The property is now available for special events,
and a giant Oz celebration takes place each autumn.