About Land of Oz
High on Beech Mountain sits the remains of a theme park that refuses to stay in the past. Land of Oz opened in 1970 as a mountaintop attraction built around a walk-through story experience rather than a collection of major mechanical rides.
Visitors followed a Yellow Brick Road through elaborate sets, character encounters, themed landscapes, and a recreated farmhouse. The park was ambitious, visually unusual, and short-lived. Financial trouble, ownership changes, a major fire, and declining attendance contributed to its closure in 1980.
The property did not vanish. Portions survived, were maintained, and eventually became the setting for special events that allowed visitors back onto the mountain. What might otherwise have become an abandoned theme-park ruin instead developed a second life built around preservation and limited scheduled access.
Land of Oz is not a normal daily amusement park, and visitors should not attempt to enter the private property outside authorized events. Tickets, parking procedures, access routes, and event dates are controlled by the attraction, so the official website should be checked before planning a trip.