Bryan Stalder
Contributor

With the long-awaited Wicked sequel set to hit theaters November 21, fans are once again ready to be swept away by emerald cities, good witches, and unforgettable songs. The film — part of the ever-growing universe inspired by The Wizard of Oz — traces its roots back to the imagination of one man: L. Frank Baum.

Before he became one of America’s most beloved children’s authors, Baum wore many hats. He was a struggling playwright, an actor, a storekeeper, a traveling salesman, and even a newspaper editor. His life was full of both ambition and failure, and he didn’t find real success until The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900. The book was an instant hit, launching a series that would define his legacy — and forever link his name to the Sunflower State.

The irony, though, is that L. Frank Baum never actually set foot in Kansas. There’s no record he ever visited. The dusty, wind-swept Kansas he described was imagined — drawn from his years living in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where harsh weather and prairie life shaped his picture of the Great Plains. Still, Kansas claimed Oz as its own, and the state has built an enduring tourism identity around Baum’s imagined world.

Curious to see how deep that connection runs, I took a day trip to Wamego, Kansas, about 90 minutes west of Kansas City. It’s a small, charming town where Oz isn’t just a story — it’s a way of life. The main street is home to the Oz Museum, packed with memorabilia, costumes, and colorful tributes to Baum’s enduring fantasy. There’s even Toto’s TacOZ, a restaurant that keeps the theme going right down to the menu. For any Wicked fans looking for a quick getaway, Wamego makes for a fun and easy dose of Oz magic.

Baum’s own path eventually led him far from the prairie. After years of writing and touring, he settled in California, where he spent his later years in the Hollywood Hills. He continued writing until his death in 1919, leaving behind fourteen Oz books and countless other works. He’s buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale — the same cemetery where Walt Disney now rests, a fitting coincidence for two dreamers who gave generations of children entire worlds to imagine.

On a recent trip to California, I stopped by Baum’s grave. Standing there, I thought about how his words turned Kansas into a mythical place — a home, a dream, and a reminder that sometimes the things we imagine become more real than the places we’ve been.

As Wicked prepares to cast its spell on moviegoers once again, it’s worth remembering that Oz began not in Kansas, but in the mind of a restless storyteller who never stopped believing in the magic of home.