1101 Star Park Circle (L. Frank Baum’s Cottage)
1101 Star Park Circle, Coronado, CA 92118
The private yellow cottage where L. Frank Baum wintered and wrote The Emerald City of Oz and four other sequels.
"The exact spot where Baum sat on the wicker-chaired porch reading Oz chapters to local children."
L. Frank Baum wrote three complete Oz sequels in Coronado, declaring it "The Queen of Fairy Land."Listen to the historical narrative via browser voice narration
Archival Landmark Visual
1101 Star Park Circle, the yellow frame cottage where L. Frank Baum wintered and wrote The Emerald City of Oz.
Archival Chronicle & Architectural Heritage
Historic Walking Tour Stop #6At 1101 Star Park Circle sits the quaint yellow frame cottage that served as the winter writing sanctuary of author L. Frank Baum between 1904 and 1910. Seeking relief from harsh Chicago winters, Baum rented this home just steps from the ocean.
On its wide wicker-chaired veranda, Baum penned three complete Oz sequels: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908), The Road to Oz (1909), and The Emerald City of Oz (1910). Local children frequently gathered on the lawn to hear Baum read newly finished chapters aloud. In his 1905 poem "Coronado: The Queen of Fairy Land," Baum credited the island’s coastal breezes and violet skies with inspiring his storybook kingdom.
Star Park Circle itself was platted in 1886 as a circular hub with five radiating residential streets, resembling a celestial starfish. In the center of the circle stands an authentic 1886 naval cannon facing toward the Pacific, surrounded by lush coastal flora and historic Victorian and Craftsman residences.
Baum found in Coronado what he described as an earthly paradise free from the industrial grit of Midwestern cities. His daily routine involved early morning writing sessions on the porch, followed by afternoon lawn bowling, bicycle rides down Ocean Boulevard, and dinners in the Crown Room of Hotel del Coronado.
Pedestrian Wayfinding & Landmark Ledger
Historic Highlights
Yellow cottage where Baum resided 1904-1910
Historic Star Park five-pointed star plaza
National Register of Historic Places Registry Archive
The Wizard of Oz Legacy & L. Frank Baum in Coronado
Step into Baum’s coastal sanctuary at 1101 Star Park Circle where he penned three classic Oz sequels between 1904 and 1910.
Classic Oz Books Penned on Star Park
Explore and purchase authentic collector editions of the classic Oz books authored by L. Frank Baum right here in Coronado.
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Written during Baum’s inaugural winter season in Coronado (1904). Re-introduced the magical kingdom with Tip, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the Wooden Sawhorse.
Queen Zixi of Ix
Penned entirely while staying in Coronado and widely praised by Baum as his personal favorite fairy tale, featuring the Magic Cloak woven by the fairies.
Ozma of Oz
Authored at the sun desk of 1101 Star Park Circle. Reunited Dorothy Gale with Oz and introduced Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man, the Hungry Tiger, and the Nome King.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Drafted in Coronado following the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, sending Dorothy and the Wizard through subterranean fairy kingdoms back to the Emerald City.
The Road to Oz
Penned on Star Park Circle as Dorothy, the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow’s Daughter follow enchanted roads to Princess Ozma’s royal birthday party.
The Emerald City of Oz
Baum’s crowning Coronado creation, mirroring the grand Victorian spires of Hotel del Coronado as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry move permanently into the royal capital.
John Dough and the Cherub
Written in Coronado during the winter of 1905-1906, chronicling the adventures of a gingerbread man brought to life by an elixir and his winged friend Chick the Cherub.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The immortal classic that birthed the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City, leading Baum to Coronado where he immortalized the town in verse as "The Queen of Fairy Land."
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