D.C. museum-goers only have a few weeks left to see the ruby red slippers before they're taken out of public view for an extensive restoration process.
This Nov. 9, 2001, file photo shows the sequin-covered ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” at the offices of Profiles in History in Calabasas, Calif. Smithsonian Museum officials started a Kickstarter fundraising drive Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, to repair the iconic slippers from 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” and create a new state-of-the-art display case for them at the National Museum of American History.
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File
The fedora-style hat worn by Indiana Jones and used during filming of the famous series will go on display after the ruby slippers are removed for conservation.
(Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)
Courtesy Smithsonian Institution
The famous slippers have been on display since 1979 and are showing their age.
(Courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of American History)
Courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of American History
The famous slippers have been on display since 1979 and are showing their age.
(Courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of American History)
Courtesy Smithsonian National Museum of American History
In this April 11, 2012 file photo, Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, from the “Wizard of Oz” are displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington. Donors flocked like flying monkeys to the Smithsonian’s crowdfunding campaign to preserve a pair of ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” But they weren’t as generous when it came to maintaining the Scarecrow costume from the beloved movie.
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
WASHINGTON — D.C. museum-goers only have a few weeks left to see the ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” before the famous footwear are taken out of public view for an extensive restoration process.
The last day to see the slippers is Sunday, April 23, according to a Smithsonian Institution blog post.
After that, they’ll be out of sight undergoing what the museum calls an “an in-depth conservation assessment and treatment,” that is expected to take several months. The slippers will be “off display through 2018,” the blog post stated.
When the slippers return, they’ll be placed in a state-of-the-art display case that will help better preserve them, the museum said.
In their place, the museum is showcasing some other famous movie accessories: Indiana Jones’ fedora-style hat and a whip used on-set during the filming of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the museum said.
Last fall, the museum raised more than $350,000 via Kickstarter to preserve the slippers, which were donated in 1979 and have remained on public display almost continuously since then.
Jack Moore joined WTOP.com as a digital writer/editor in July 2016. Previous to his current role, he covered federal government management and technology as the news editor at Nextgov.com, part of Government Executive Media Group.
