'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'

Through May, 2, the Long Island Children's Museum (LICM) is running The Wonderful Wizard of Oz exhibit. The festivities kicked off Jan. 28 with Ozapallooza, the opening day celebration. Since then, many school groups and families have come to tour the display. All generations can bond over Oz and the childhood memories it brings back.

The Great Explorations Children's Museum of St. Petersburg, FL produced and developed the display, while designs were created by Bruce Barry's Wacky World Studios of Oldsmar, FL with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The International Wizard of Oz Club and The L. Frank Baum Family Trust have endorsed the display.

Many differences exist between the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the movie, The Wizard of Oz. LICM stays true to the book with such features as the Tin Woodman, Road of Yellow Brick and Land of Munchkins.

Oz surrounds museum visitors, who will notice witches' legs peeking out from under the building, a yellow brick road in the lobby and characters in a cyclone-effect in the entrance ceiling.

Starting at the Emerald Forest, the Road of Yellow Brick brings visitors up to the entrance and into the first station, Dorothy's House. The space is decorated in black and white to authentically represent the book and children can dress up in 1900s farmhouse clothing, work on animal puzzles and water a garden.

In Tornado Alley, the next stop on the journey, children create their own tornadoes with water bottles in Create Your Own Vortex and learn about the impact levels of different storms. The Up, Up And Away activity shows wind forces on objects in tubes.

While visiting the Land of Munchkins, children can choose from an assortment of puppets and put on a show for their families. Children can go inside a small blue house with tables and chairs to get the feel for life as a munchkin.

Guests can visit the scarecrow in the Land of Oz and play "Pick Your Brain!" a game where children have to sort out brains and match them to the animal they belong to. Children can assemble their own scarecrow, complete with stuffed arms, legs, torso and head.

In the Tin Woodman room, visitors can participate in hands-on activities about the heart and circulation. They can check their pulse, watch how blood pumps through the system on a makeshift heart and press buttons to feel how the heart beats during sitting, walking and running.

Children can help the Lion be brave in the Cave of Courage by crawling through a dark cave. There's also a camouflage game where players press buttons of different animals such as squirrels and turtles, and their images light up in the forest.

After visiting the main characters, children build their own Road of Yellow Brick to the Emerald City, where they can choose different backgrounds, costumes and props and perform acts from the book.

Before heading off to see The Wicked Witch of the West, guests are greeted by three munchkins named Oliver, Lumpkin and Freckle. Children dress up as winged monkeys and help the witch build her castle. When they are done, Glinda the Good Witch is near by with plenty of story books for kids to cuddle up with in a comfy corner.

At the very end, guests will notice that there are a pair of silver slippers ready for three clicks. People may be expecting ruby ones; however, the display stays true to the book, which calls for silver slippers.

The Long Island Children's Museum is located at 11 Davis Avenue in Garden City. General admission is $10 for adults and children over one year old. Children under one are free and seniors are $9. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most school holidays.