Follow the yellow brick road to Wamego, where you’ll instantly find yourself in the middle of the Merry Old Land of Oz. Yes, it is true that the Wizard of Oz was not filmed in Wamego nor was it set in Wamego… but just ignore that fact. Although there won’t be any lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my!), you will find a ton of things to do to make for a fun-filled day in Wamego.
Friendship House
Start your day with breakfast at The Friendship House. This super cute place across from Wamego City Park serves up breakfast, lunch, and yummy pastries. Try the bierocks, a local favorite that infuses the German classic with a touch of homestyle Kansas cooking. From the bakery, grab some cookies, cinnamon rolls, or peanut butter rolls to enjoy later in the day.
Wamego City Park
My boys’ favorite playground is at Wamego City Park! There are so many different play structures geared toward different ages that your whole crew is bound to have a great time!
There’s a children’s train that runs through the park April through October on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – noon and Sundays 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. To the southside of the park are brand new, recently renovated, pickleball and basketball courts. Both are enclosed and are rarely filled.
There is quite a bit to see, even within the park.
- The Schonhoff Dutch Mill
- The Veterans War Memorial
- The Wamego Museum
- Historic buildings: Old jail house, school house, and log cabin. These buildings were moved to the park from different areas around Pottawatomie County.
With picnic tables throughout the park, your crew can easily take a break for a fun picnic snack. This is where you’ll be glad you grabbed those treats from Friendship House.
Hot day outside and you need to cool down? Check out the Wamego Aquatic Center! My boys love this pool, the fun water slides, and splash pad. Weather is a bit too chilly or maybe it’s starting to rain? No problem — check out the INDOOR pool!
Don’t forgot to keep your eyes open for the Totos around town! Throughout the park and downtown, you’ll find various Toto statues by local artists. Can you find all 18?
Oz Museum
Literally follow the yellow brick road to The Oz Museum! Right next to The Friendship House is a fun little alleyway with a yellow brick road that not only makes for a great photo, but it helps transport you somewhere over the rainbow and to The Oz Museum.
The museum contains one of the largest private Wizard of Oz collections. My boys loved looking around at the alcoves with the characters, and they thought it was fun that you can sit down and watch the movie (it plays on loop all day). Make sure to stop and take a fun photo in the hot air balloon.
Toto’s TacOz
Getting hungry? At this point, your crew is probably starving so walk just a few doors down to Toto’s TacOz! “The best Cal-Mex on the yellow brick road,” with local meat from Hanner Ranch, cheese from Alma Creamery, and homemade salsas.
Bird’s Creamery
Need a sweet treat? Check out this local hard scoop ice cream shop serving fun flavors like yellow brick road. Grab a scoop (or two or three)!
Lincoln Street Lanes
Ready for some more family fun? Head on over for some bowling at Lincoln Street Lanes. My crew had a (bowling) ball here! Aside from bowling, there also is an arcade and billiards.
Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie Park
Pick up a picnic dinner of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and paninis from Barleycorn’s and enjoy the views from the top of Mount Mitchell before heading home. Explore the tall grass prairie and learn about the Mitchell Family history. What a perfect way to end your day in Wamego!
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