The Canadian premiere of L. Frank Baum’s Wonderful Wizard of Oz exhibit opened up for families to explore last weekend at the Royal Alberta Museum.
Spanning 1,500 square feet, it’s a three-dimensional pop-up book, giving parents and children a new way to experience the stories they love reading.
“They learn a lot more by actually doing than just reading and it makes them part of the story, so they really like that,” said Mark Koens, who brought his two kids.
“I think my favourite part is seeing the looks on these guys’ faces.”
Some of the colourful backdrops are based on original art by W.W. Denslow and there are many mind-stimulating activities to keep visitors thinking.
“In the farm life of Dorothy, there’s a part where you have to use arithmetic to figure out how many eggs are in a dozen,” explained Karene Gervais, gallery interpreter.
Gervais added that they will also have interactive programming in place, which includes storytelling, craft activities and a more in-depth look at tornadoes.
The exhibit will stay open until mid-January of next year.
