WAKITA—Three decades ago, a tornadic flurry of film crews, movie stars, and budding actors and actresses blew through the small rural town in Grant County that is almost on the Kansas border.
For four months or so, Wakita was a bustling metroplex that required security by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol guarding the roads in and out with car decals to allow its then-400 residents to pass.
Downtown was decimated to depict tornado devastation and the home of Aunt Meg (played by Kansas native Lois Smith who is now 95) on the south side of town was refurbished before it also was destroyed for scenes in Steven Spielberg’s cult classic “Twister.”
“Twister” is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month of entertaining audiences with its storm chasing team led by the late Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as Bill and Jo Harding.
Visitors from across the globe are expected “to hit Wakita head on” next weekend for the movie’s birthday bash at the internationally acclaimed Twister the Movie Museum.
A beacon for not only film fanatics, but for storm chasers around the world, “Twister” has stood the test of time, much to the surprise of museum director Linda Wade, who curated and has solely owned and operated Twister the Movie Museum in downtown Wakita from the beginning.
“We weren’t supposed to be here 30 years later,” she said during an interview last month.
The plan back in the fall of 1995 was be open a couple of years and then move on—that’s why the museum has never charged admission, Wade said.
“Twister” movie studio Warner Bros. had urged the town to open the movie museum, citing visitors would flock to Wakita after the film came out in May 1996, so Wade initially accepted several “Twister” props from the studio and housed them in the original film location office across the street from the old bank which ultimately became Twister the Movie Museum.
Those stepping out onto the street corner also get a perfect glance at the town’s water tower, itself a famous landmark that still pops up in Warner Bros.’ aerial stock footage on other Hollywood productions.
A whirl of activity
Now 77, Wade is a widow whose great-grandparents made one of Oklahoma’s land runs.
She grew up in Wakita, met her future husband there, farmed in the area, and retired to it several years ago so she could operate the museum full-time in between doctor appointments and caregiving for one of her three younger sisters.
“I’m here all the time,” she said, even when the museum is technically closed. Wade is only a phone call away, and if she’s in town on her days off, she willingly opens for visitors who make the effort to travel all the way to Wakita, whether they drove from Oklahoma City or Tulsa or flew in from Europe, Asia, or Australia.
She now has a team of young people assisting her with the digital side of things—one handles the email, one posts on the social media accounts, and one oversees the website.
And then there are the storm chasers who protect her at all costs, calling to warn her about storms nearing Wakita and to check on her especially during tornado season, which is typically from April to August.
To date, Wakita has never actually been hit head on by a tornado like Enid did on April 23. Surrounding properties have experienced tornadic wind shear and damage.
“Storm chasing was new [when ‘Twister’ came out in 1996],” Wade said, and the film not only helped launch tornado awareness but also spawned a multitude of weather enthusiasts including KFOR meteorologist Emily Sutton who ended up getting a bit part in the subsequent “Twisters” movie.
Critics of “Twister” said “that it could never happen, then it did,” Wade said, referring to Oklahoma’s deadliest tornado outbreak a few years later after “Twister” came out in May 1999, which killed 36 in the Oklahoma City metro and injured hundreds.
According to National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Norman, the effort to modernize the National Weather Service paid off in that single event. Researchers estimate more than 600 lives were saved as a result of timely and accurate warnings and the public’s knowledge of tornado safety, partly of which can be attributed to the use of storm chasers.
Those storm chasers have adopted Wakita and are a big part of why Twister the Movie Museum still thrives today.
With all of the interest in “Twister,” the museum hosted its first celebration in 2005 for the movie’s 10th anniversary, then again for the 15th, 20th, and 25th. Each year the pilgrimage of film and weather aficionados grew.
Five years ago, several storm chasers decided every year to start hosting storm chaser seminars and a car show of movie replica vehicles in conjunction with the museum’s anniversary, which coincides with the Old Settlers’ Celebration every September.
Last September there were 52 storm chaser vehicles in Wakita and nearly 1,000 people roaming the streets of the Northwest Oklahoma town of 200.
Wade actually credits the Old Settlers’ Celebration for the museum’s existence. She was president of the newly formed Wakita Garden Club back in 1995. A dozen ladies in town came together to beautify Aunt Meg’s flower garden for the filming of “Twister” and to aid as Wakita’s de facto tourism bureau.
She and others from the garden club primarily assembled the museum to show off Wakita’s role. When WB donated “debris” from the movie set, Twister the Movie Museum was born as one of the first movie museums in the nation.
Paxton, who was one of the main film stars as storm chaser-turned-TV weatherman Bill Harding, was a key supporter of the museum, Wade said, pointing out several personal items signed or donated by Paxton including his official Sega “Twister” pinball machine that still works.
Hitting Wakita head on
In honor of the 30th anniversary of “Twister,” next weekend’s celebration will be two days of festivities and meteorology seminars.
Twister the Movie Museum’s 30th anniversary event May 15-16 is themed by a line from the film spoken by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as Dustin to Paxton’s character: “It looks to hit Wakita head on.”
That’s where “Twister” moviegoers then follow the storm chasing team back to Wakita to find Aunt Meg still alive but buried in the rubble of her home that was hit by a tornado.
The celebration begins at 10 a.m. both days with food trucks along Main Street and the museum opening the doors. There also will be music and the storm chasers displaying their vehicles in the car show along with screen-used vehicles including Jo Harding’s yellow truck.
The biggest draw, however, will be three of the film’s storm chasing team on site in the gazebo to meet and greet “Twister” fans, take photos, and sign autographs.
Actress Wendle Josepher who played Haynes, actor Sean Whalen who played Sanders, and actor Jeremy Davies who played Laurence will be in Wakita both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday excluding a one-hour lunch break from 12:45-1:45 p.m. each day.
Kansas native April Littlejohn Warren will join them in the gazebo too. Warren is an uncredited actress who played the role of Jo Harding’s mom in the “Twister” flashback and a rodeo fan in “Twisters.”
Paxton’s son James, who had a bit part in “Twisters” as the man who complained at the motel front desk before being blown away after knocking the motel sign (which is now at the museum), was slated to show up in Wakita but unfortunately had other commitments, Wade said.
Both days will feature meteorologists from across the nation speaking at Wakita’s Christian Church. Friday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. are Austin Stance of Joplin, Mo., and Emily Pike of Portland, Maine. Saturday at 11 a.m. is Donald O’Keefe of Pittsburg, Kan., and at 3:30 p.m. is Sutton with the film stars in a Q&A session. Retired SkyNews 9 helicopter pilot Jim Gardner and Deterding Aerial cropduster Randy Alexander who flew the plane in “Twisters” are expected to appear as well.
Kids’ games, contests including cosplay, and a Saturday night after party are on tap for the weekend. There will be plenty of porta-potties and free parking (although attendees may have to park on the edge of town and walk a few blocks).
Attendees can take the walking tour of five spots in Wakita including the lot on which Aunt Meg’s house once stood and now features a butterfly garden. Wade recently refreshed all the signage.
Of course, Twister the Movie Museum will be selling “Twister” merchandise including an exclusive 30th anniversary t-shirt designed by Eskimo Joe’s Promotional Products Co. and a limited-edition brass medallion with Wakita’s water tower on it.
Fans can also purchase “Twister” emblazoned memorabilia such as shirts, hats, and koozies as well as handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments designed by Wade and friends to mimic the whirly ball weather sensors dispatched by Dorothy in the film. In a partnership with NWOKBuzz.com, plenty of “Twisters” memorabilia is available too including tumblers, tornado-shaped keychains, magnets, and more.
A reprint of the now-defunct Wakita Herald newspaper’s edition released during the making of “Twister” will be for sale by the publisher’s daughter in front of the newspaper office across the street.
Admission to the 30th anniversary celebration May 15-16 is free; cost for food and drinks varies based on the vendor who may or may not have credit card machines. “Twister” actors may charge a fee for signing photographs or taking photos with them. There are no ATMs in Wakita, so attendees are advised to bring cash.
Seasonally April through August, Twister the Movie Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1-5 p.m.; tours outside of regular museum hours are available by appointment. There is no admission fee to the museum but donations may be given to keep the place running. Cash and/or credit cards are accepted for purchases inside the museum gift shop.
To learn more about Twister the Movie Museum, go online to Facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578731743393 or twistermuseum.org. For details about “Twisters,” which was wholly filmed in Oklahoma, including three sites in Northwest Oklahoma, and the self-guided tour which includes Wakita, go online to nwokbuzz.com/nwokbuzz-twisters-tours.