Museum makes 'Wizard of Oz' pop-up adventure

OCTOBER 03, 2011

Check out this story by our colleague Mary Jane Park on the new interactive exhibit that opened Saturday at the St. Petersburg Museum of History. You will learn little-known history (like that Dorothy wore silver shoes in the book, not ruby slippers) in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" story presentation, which includes 10-foot-tall pop-up books that blend entertainment and education geared to children ages 4 to 12.

Each major character has its own "book" and begins, as did the 1900 volume, with a black-and-white area, then moves to color once a tornado carries Dorothy from Earth to the Land of Oz.

A representation of Dorothy's house, for example, demonstrates farm life in the early 20th century, including collecting and counting eggs, growing and harvesting corn and putting together an animal puzzle complete with sounds. The tornado feature shows characteristics of a vortex, allows participants to spin tops and demonstrates the storm's destructive force. In the Land of Munchkins, participants learn about tolerance and acceptance of personal differences.

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" runs through Dec. 31, and if you are wondering why the history museum has it, aside from the fact that nearby Great Explorations Children's Museum created the traveling exhibit, accompanying displays will reflect events that took place in St. Petersburg during the Oz time span.

--Sharon Kennedy Wynne

PHOTO: Great Explorations’ Kate Griffin attaches a scarecrow’s arm at the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” exhibit at the St. Petersburg Museum of History. And at right, the Tinman.

[Photos by MELISSA LYTTLE | Times]

Posted by Sharon Wynne at 7:56:54 am on October 03, 2011 in

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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

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After six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

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Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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