The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Oz the Great and Powerful – these movies and Broadway shows are full of characters near and dear to fans. One local collector, Katie Bailey, has gone “over the rainbow” in her dedication to L. Frank Baum’s masterpiece and opened a museum just 15 minutes from Shipshewana full of Oz collectibles.
“I have been collecting anything and everything related to The Wizard of Oz since I first watched the 1939 classic movie at the young age of two years old,” said Katie, who has more than 6,000 items on display at the No Place Like Oz Museum. “Then, at the age of eight, I began dreaming of one day owning a Wizard of Oz Museum and gift shop, which is now No Place Like Oz located in downtown LaGrange, IN.”
The museum is full of authentic memorabilia, autographs from cast members, original Oz books, and rarities from the original film. Along with touring the museum and its exhibits, you can purchase board games, books, and additional items at the gift shop, too.
The No Place Like Oz Museum opened in 2024 and is a major draw for fans of the original film. However, with the recent film adaptation of the Broadway show Wicked and part two of the film, titled Wicked: For Good, releasing in November, the museum’s “popularity” is expected to increase.
“I am very excited to continue connecting with the community in 2025.” Katie is working on launching an online gift shop for the future. It’s another way she can connect with fans and provide them with Oz-themed products.
“I truly enjoy sharing my love of Oz with the community. It always makes me happy to see people enjoying their visit and being taken away to a magical land right in their own backyard. There is so much to see and do in Shipshewana and LaGrange County. It is a great destination with a wide variety of unique shopping, activities, and eateries, and I am very excited to be a part of it.”
No need to click your heels together or defy gravity if you want to visit the No Place Like Oz Museum. Stop by the Shipshewana Visitors Center for a free 2025 Travel Guide and flip to page 15. Learn more on the museum’s Facebook page or take a trip like Dorothy down our version of the Yellow Brick Road and take a tour of the Off the Beaten Path trail to find yourself in downtown LaGrange.
