Random Things About Creepy Land Of Oz (10 items)

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  (#8) At Midnight, The Clocks Played An Eerie Rendition Of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'

  Judy Garland singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is one of the most memorable parts of The Wizard of Oz. It was also one of the most memorable parts of Land of Oz, but not for the right reasons.

  According to Kelsey Garcia, the clocks in Land of Oz played the famed song every night at midnight, but it wasn't sweet. It was straight-up terrifying.

  We all started noticing these quirks that we, well, didn't appreciate. At midnight every night, a little tune — "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" — would float down the hallway from an old cuckoo clock. Except it was so old that the song sounded distorted and unbelievably eerie; it was like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on Xanax.

  Just imagine a random, out-of-tune rendition floating about your antique cabin in the middle of a forest ravaged by fire. There's no way Land of Oz wasn't terrifying.
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  (#3) Debbie Reynolds Brought 13-Year-Old Carrie Fisher To The Park's Opening

  Debbie Reynolds, who rose to fame in Singin' in the Rain and scored a 1964 Oscar nomination for The Unsinkable Molly Brown, cut the ribbon at Land of Oz's opening on June 15, 1970. The actress was a partner in the business and brought along her then-unknown teenage daughter, Carrie Fisher, to enjoy the event.

  Throughout her life, Reynolds amassed a vibrant collection of famed Hollywood memorabilia. Her collection contained none other than one pair of Dorothy's famed ruby slippers, which were reportedly bought at auction for $510,000 in 2011. Reynolds helped with the park create its collection of Wizard of Oz props and costumes.
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  (#10) You Can Rent Out Oz And Have Your Fairytale Wedding (If You Dare)

  Though the public events are extremely popular, the abandoned theme park gets other business as well. The park has become a bizarre backdrop for destination weddings — maybe the kind you don't want to put on Pinterest. Nothing says romance like climbing a burned down mountainside while carved, haunted-looking trees stare at you.

  If you want to see the fading glory of the Land of Oz, you can rent out the park. Members of your party can reportedly even play the roles of Dorothy's friends by renting costumes. Just be careful where you step; thieves are still stealing bricks from the yellow brick road.
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  (#7) Staying In 'Dorothy's House' Was Even Creepier Than The Flying Monkeys

  Every kid remembers that moment of fear when they saw the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys for the first time. Imagine that feeling multiplied by 10, and you've basically experienced what it was like to stay at Land of Oz in the '90s.

  According to Kelsey Garcia, a writer who spent a childhood vacation in Dorothy's house, everything about Land of Oz was eerie and run down even after it was restored:

  It was old and creaky in a way that was almost comically creepy. The furniture definitely had that antique thing going for it, and there was a painting of a stoic, haunting woman on the wall. We inexplicably named her Rebecca, I guess to just make light of it all... Toward the close of our trip, my sisters decided to take a look at what was in the basement, the uncharted territory of the cabin that still gives me the creeps over a decade later. The owners of the old park had long ago decided to mysteriously store many of the park's old rides and decorations in the basement of the very cabin that was being rented out to my unassuming family. There it all was: an animatronic Wicked Witch of the West, carts belonging to amusement rides, a winding yellow ramp that led somewhere else underground. And no, we did not care to find out where that might have been.
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  (#2) The Park's Owner Died Of Cancer Right Before It Opened In 1970

  Land of Oz has been tainted with death since before it even opened its doors in 1970. Grover Robbins was a successful entrepreneur who wanted to attract tourists to the resort town of Beech Mountain all year round. He hired designer Jack Pentes, who said the trees on the property reminded him of the film's haunted forest. For a few years, their vision was truly successful.

  Robbins had previous success in operating theme parks; he was the man behind Tweetsie Railroad, a Wild West theme park in North Carolina, which is still in operation. Unfortunately, Land of Oz never saw the same level of lasting success. Mere months before the park's grand opening, Robbins died of cancer. Some believe his demise led to the park's eventual decline. 
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  (#6) In The '90s, Restoration Began On The Park

  In the 1990s, Emerald Mountain Realty began to restore the park to its original glory. Each year, they added a piece back to the park, including items that were stolen from the grounds after the park fell into disrepair. You could reportedly even rent out character houses.

  But the property wasn't reopened as an amusement park. After a 1994 reunion of the original cast members, they decided to open the park once a year for an Autumn in Oz event. Public demand to see the old them park soared, and all money from the events goes back into restoring Land of Oz.

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