Chittenango Area

Come to Oz-Stravaganza, an annual festival celebrating the work of Chittenango native son L. Frank Baum.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Chittenango, where you’ll find “All Things Oz” and even lions and tigers and bears—seriously!

The birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chittenango is lush with Oz pride. Each June the village celebrates its native son with the annual Oz-Stravaganza festival that’s complete with authors and illustrators who continue the Oz legacy, fireworks, amusement rides, and one of the region’s largest parades.

Visit year-round for a walk along the village’s yellow brick sidewalks and stop into All Things Oz. This Oz museum features locally owned items and pieces on loan from Oz historians and family members of L. Frank Baum. They also have a gift shop where Oz memorabilia can be purchased. For even more Oz fun, try your luck at the Yellow Brick Road Casino.

For a walk on the wild side, venture to The Wild Animal Park, home to lions, tigers, and bears plus a giraffe, camels, kangaroos, foxes, and more. Enjoy a picnic in the pavilion, watch live animal shows, and let the kids play in the bounce house.

And more family fun can be found along the Old Erie Canal at the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum. This National Parks’ award-winning museum is dedicated to the 96-foot long cargo boats that were built and repaired on this site during the 19th and 20th centuries. Here you can see how the dry docks worked, visit a canalside store, see a working blacksmith, and learn all about boats on the canal.

Did you bring your fishing rod? Because you’ll need it when you head north to Oneida Lake to catch your limit of bass, walleye, and perch. In Bridgeport, you can fish from a pier at Chapman Park or launch your boat at the state boat launch.