Judy Garland Museum, Minnesota

Where Gumbo Was #518

For Judy Garland fans, you already know she was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, but I learned about the Judy Garland Museum and her life in this lovely city in the Northeast of the state just recently.

The beginning of the tour deals mainly with The Wizard of Oz. Items on display include a Wicked Witch of the West statue, the original carriage used in the movie, and Dorothy’s test dress worn by Garland.

Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, she began performing as a child with her two older sisters in a vaudeville group, The Gumm Sisters. She later signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. She appeared in more than two dozen films for MGM.

Garland attained international stardom as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, on the concert stage, and on her television show.

Her childhood home, which was moved to the location and connected to the museum, is the second part of the tour.

It offers a view of how Garland and other middle-class Midwesterners lived in the 1920s. It is also the place guests learn a lot about Garland’s childhood.

From the kitchen and dining room to the living room with its piano and upstairs to the bedrooms, I got a real sense of how Garland grew up.

Even if you are not a diehard fan, you will enjoy the museum and get a better understanding of the life this Hollywood icon lived.

Congratulations to Jonathan L, who solved this week’s mystery location!