The Wizard of Oz – Reliable Sheet Metal in Juneau, Alaska

On this date in 1939 The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California. In Chicago’s Oz Park there are statues of Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. Why? Because this is where the author L. Frank Baum lived in the 1890s when he wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was in Chicago where the book was published in 1900 and opened as a musical two years later. But who cares about historical connections when you’ve got statues of Toto, Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, the Wizard (and his giant green head machine), a flying monkey, the Wicked Witch, a couple of Munchkins and the yellow brick road on the roof of Reliable Sheet Metal in Juneau, Alaska. Forget hiking up mountains and taking pictures of glaciers. Go see this random and fun roadside attraction! “We’re off to see the Wizard…”