Calling all Wizard of Oz fans! You do not want to miss this impressive public art exhibit centered around L. Frank Baum’s infamous story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Find it in Holland, Michigan.
Did you know that L. Frank Baum, author of the Oz books, spent summers along the shore of Lake Michigan right by Holland, Michigan? Several aspects of the Oz stories were inspired by the local area. And, Holland has an impressive art display centered around The Wizard of Oz story that you need to go see!
Off to See the Wizard in West Michigan
Start your West Michigan Oz adventure at Centennial Park in Holland to see the book literally come to life. Then, follow the yellow brick road across the street to the collection of life-size bronze sculptures of characters from Oz.
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The Wizard of Oz Living Book
The first installation of this amazing free outdoor exhibit was a living book of The Wizard of Oz. This sculpture of an open book is 10 feet by 12 feet and is a mosaic of thousands of plants made to look like one of the early book covers for this beloved fairy tale adventure.
The living book can be found in Centennial Park (located at 250 Central Avenue in Holland, Michigan).
PRO TIP: To see this amazing piece of living art, visit in the warm weather seasons. This particular part of the Oz art display will be moved to a city greenhouse for the winter months each year.
Holland’s Yellow Brick Road
Directly in front of the magnificent living book, you will find the start of the yellow brick road – a walking path that leads from Centennial Park and to the nearby library.
Of course, one does not simply walk when following the yellow brick road. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know it’s better to skip along this sunny little path. At the very least, you should link arms with someone as you go along. Personally, I enjoyed linking arms and skipping along the path with my nine-year-old niece while singing the catchy “We’re Off To See The Wizard” lyrics.
Pay attention to the bricks as you walk. Many of the bricks were purchased in support of this unique display and feature clever inscriptions. One of my favorite inscriptions read “No Place Like Home.”
Meet Dorothy and Toto and Friends
The Yellow Brick Road path winds along the North side of Herrick District Library where you will find life-size bronze sculptures of Oz characters.
At the time of my visit, there were five sculptures on display: a munchkin, the scarecrow, the cowardly lion, Dorothy and Toto, and the tin man.
I can’t wait to return to see the sixth sculpture once it is also installed. It will be a nearly 13-foot tall fighting tree with a flying monkey in its branches!
Don’t expect these sculptures to look like the movie characters though. Each sculpture is modeled after the book’s original illustrations by illustrator W.W. Denslow.
Oz Inspiration Found Around Holland
Characters and settings believed to be inspired by the local area include the Flying Monkeys, the yellow brick road, Munchkinland, Dorothy, and the witch’s castle.
Additionally, W.W. Densmore (the book’s illustrator) visited Baum in Macatawa around the time that the two men were working on the book together.
LEARN MORE: The Origin of Oz – WZZM13
Welcome to Holland’s Oz!
This tribute to the Wizard of Oz in Holland, Michigan is so much fun! So who wants to follow the yellow brick road and seek the wonderful wizard of Oz with me in West Michigan?
- Are you a Wizard of Oz fan?
- Would you like to see this free outdoor exhibit?
- Which parts of the exhibit are you most interested in?
For more family fun in Holland, check out these other Minivan Adventures articles:
I would love to see this. The gardens are beautiful, and who doesn’t love The Wizard of Oz?
It is really something special! I found it especially interesting because the sculptures were modeled after the original book illustrations (not the movie characters). So adorable!
Adorable! I am sharing this with a friend who loves WoO!
Any Wizard of Oz fan would LOVE seeing this outdoor display. Holland really did a great job of putting this unique exhibit together. So well done!
This looks so fun! I’d love to visit!
It is sooooo much fun! If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth a stop.
I love Michigan! We are trying to head up there more and now seeing this is on my list!
Yay! I’m so glad you found value in my post about the Wizard of Oz exhibit in Holland, Michigan! What are your favorite places to visit in Michigan?
I’ve been to Holland but didn’t know this was there! Very fun!
It’s pretty new! The living book was installed in early summer 2019, and sculpture installation began in September 2019. It’s a super fun stop if you are ever in the area!
Those photos are so fun!
Aren’t they fun? When I was growing up, my family loved the Wizard of Oz movie! So this was an extra fun stop for me!
I have been wanting to visit exhibit! I can’t wait to check it out soon!
I have a feeling you will love it! These new Oz-themed exhibits are so well done!!
I finally got a chance to soo this. Very cool. I even got my dog to sit next to TOTO. Usually its hard for him to sit still when there are so many interesting things to sniff. 😛 Thanks for the recommendation!
So glad you and your pup got to meet Dorothy, Toto and their friends in Holland, Michigan!
Thank you very much for sharing this special experience. I surprised my husband with all time favorite movie come to life in this art exhibition and park. Wonderful memories during our day trip in Holland.
Thank you for commenting! It brought me joy to hear that something I wrote helped you plan a special moment for your husband!
I’ve heard there is also a Wizard of Oz park in Chicago somewhere. Have you been there yet? That’s on my destination wish list still.
The Castle in Castle Park is NOT the inspiration for the wicked witch’s castle but Emerald City. The ivy was removed several years ago. Also the yellow brick road was a sand brick path between Macatawa and Castle Park. I don’t believe downtown Holland was developed enough to inspire the yellow brick road. L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz, spent summers in Macatawa and most of the inspirations came from the area at that time. I learned about the origins of this well known tale since spending my summers both in Macatawa and Castle Park. Please check your history.
Thank you for reading my blog post, Marie. I stand by my comments within the blog post regarding the area’s ties to the story. I read several articles and a book on the subject before I wrote this post. According to interviews with L Frank Baum’s grandson, the castle at Castle Park is indeed believed (by him at least) to be the inspiration for the witch’s castle. You and I are in agreement regarding the inspiration for the yellow brick road. I claimed that the “local area” provided its inspiration, and I consider Macatawa to be part of Holland’s local area. Regardless of these small differences of opinions, I am delighted to connect with a fellow Wizard of Oz fan. Spending summers in Macatawa and Castle Park must have been a delight! My family and I would love to spend more time there in the summers ourselves.