Historic West End Victorian Home & Outdoor Amphitheater

About the Space

This is the historic home of Joel Chandler Harris, the journalist and author who captured the Brer Rabbit Stories that eventually were made into the controversial movie Song of the South. Built around 1870 as a farmhouse, the home was substantially remodeled and expanded by the Harrises during the 1880s and provides a unique example of upper-middle-class living in Atlanta during the late Victorian era. The Wren’s Nest opened as a house museum in 1913 with financial support from Andrew Carnegie, President Theodore Roosevelt, and the fundraising efforts of Atlanta Public Schools students. Most of the furnishings in the house belonged to Harris and his family. No one has lived in the house or made modifications to it in over 100 years. As a result, it survives as a time capsule from 1913 — the year the family moved out — and stands as the oldest house museum in Atlanta. We welcome productions, creative projects and events of all kinds as long as we can accommodate the needs without too much stress on our historic space.