North Carolina 'Wizard of Oz' theme park set to reopen temporarily for Autumn at Oz festival

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina's Land Of Oz theme park is set to reopen for three weekends this fall.

The park will mark the 85th anniversary of the classic film, The Wizard of Oz. The film starred Judy Garland and revolutionized the use of color in feature length movies. It's widely considered one of the most influential movies of all time.

The theme park, located in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, was developed by two brothers in 1970 and operated for about a decade before a fire destroyed two buildings in 1975. The park then reopened a year later before permanently closing in 1980.

In 1988, a group of original employees, known as the "Ozzies" came together to open the park yearly for the Autumn at Oz festival.

This year's Autumn at Oz festival will take place on the first three weekends in September. General admission tickets are on sale for $60.