One of my favorite things to do when I travel to a new city is to pick a random residential neighborhood and wander. Sometimes I’ll walk for miles, window shopping, people watching and stopping to grab a coffee or beer in whatever little local cafe looks interesting.

I was in Chicago for a few days over Christmas and decided to wander around the neighborhood of Lincoln Park—an area of the city which, according to Wikipedia, was once a poor Puerto Rican neighborhood but is now made up of mostly young professionals and wealthy families. One of the places I visited while I was walking (I walked for 11 miles that day!) was Oz Park—a Wizard of Oz-themed(ish) 13-acre patch of trees and playgrounds surrounded by residences and small businesses.

The park was named in honor of L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and a former Chicago resident who lived only a few blocks from where the park would be built some 70 years later.

Though the park was established in 1976, it wasn’t until the mid-90s that the chamber of commerce commissioned the creation the statues (Fun fact: The Tin Man statue was made from recycled car parts).