The iconic Wizard of Oz may take place in Kansas (and in the magical world of Oz, of course!), but did you know that author L. Frank Baum actually lived in South Dakota for a short time? Not only that, but the character of Dorothy is rumored to be based on a young woman who died in a tornado near Aberdeen, which Baum covered during his days as the editor of The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer. Crazy, right? Now that you know all of this, it only makes sense to pay homage to the wonderful world of Oz, which is exactly what you can do at this magical South Dakota festival:
Located in Aberdeen is the nostalgic Storybook Land, which is home to the colorful, life-size nursery rhymes you grew up with.
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
Spanning 210 acres, Storybook Land boasts life-size replicas of your favorite storybook characters, as well as carnival rides and one-of-a-kind photo ops.
TripAdvisor/Dave M
Also housed at Storybook Land is the Land of Oz, which gives the park even more reason to throw a festival featuring this timeless tale!
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
Taking place July 19th and 20th (2019), the 14th annual Storybook Land Festival is a totally FREE event that offers everything from character meet-and-greets to book readings to crafts and live entertainment.
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
In addition to more modern characters like Pete the Cat and Wild Thing, the cast of Wizard of Oz will be at the Storybook Land Festival for photos, and there will also be a special screening of the film on the last night of the festival.
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
Can’t make it to Aberdeen for the festival? No worries, as their fixture Land of Oz (complete with yellow brick road) is open every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Google/Alan Contreras
Storybook Land is open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
Address: 225 SE Third Avenue, Aberdeen, SD 57401
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
TripAdvisor/Dave M
Storybook Land, Aberdeen South Dakota Facebook
Google/Alan Contreras
You can learn even more about Storybook Land and the Land of Oz by clicking on The Whimsical Park in South Dakota That’s Straight Out Of A Storybook. (Psst… you can camp near Storybook Land, too!)
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