The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids is now offering a “Ruby Slipper Theft Guided Tour” as the iconic ruby slippers stolen from the museum in 2005 are set to go up for auction.
In 2005, Minnesotan Terry Jon Martin broke into the museum and stole the slippers, which were used in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” The FBI recovered the slippers in 2018 and eventually returned them to Michael Shaw, the collector who had owned the slippers. However, the museum has not regained possession of the slippers.
A security review by curator John Kelsch revealed that a series of “comedy of errors” led to the theft, including faulty security alarms and poor surveillance. The museum’s security systems have since been overhauled, but the slippers remain on an international tour through Heritage Auctions, with stops in Japan, New York, and London.
The current bid for the slippers is $1,150,000, and they will be auctioned off alongside other iconic items from popular films. The museum has been raising funds to purchase the slippers, which have a value of $3-10 million. In May, the Minnesota Legislature earmarked $100,000 for the museum’s purchase.
Source: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/12/05/a-new-theft-tour-at-the-judy-garland-museum-as-the-ruby-slippers-go-to-auction