things to do

Wren’s Nest

1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW
Atlanta, GA 30310
404-753-7735

The Wren’s Nest is the historic home of journalist Joel Chandler Harris. The Harris family lived at the Wren’s Nest between 1881 and 1908. The house has been a museum since 1913. Harris served as editor of the Atlanta Consitution alongside Henry Grady. While there, he revolutionized children’s literature by recording the Brer Rabbit stories. Harris created the Uncle Remus character to narrate the tales and to introduce a white audience to African American culture and folklore. The stories influence everyone from Beatrix Potter to A.A. Milne to Bugs Bunny. The museum officially opened in 1913, with financial help from Andrew Carnegie and President Theodore Roosevelt. For a time the museum also served as The Uncle Remus Public Library, but the books eventually became too heavy for the floor, and the library was moved down the street. The museum became a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and underwent a restoration in the 1980s.

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