World's Largest Wren | Topeka, KS
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Greetings from the Midwest where summer has arrived with a truly brutal heatwave! Road trip season may be in full swing, but I’m taking some time to keep my curtains drawn and enjoy the blasting cold of the AC.
With that in mind, I’m excited to travel back to a slightly cooler time earlier this spring when I spent more than two weeks on the road exploring Kansas along the Interstate 70 corridor. During that time, I encountered a number of big attractions (more on those in coming weeks!) including one adorable avian creature that was too fun to pass up. Meet the World’s Largest Wren in Topeka, Kansas!
Fast Facts
Built: 1930s
Height: About 5 feet tall
Weight: More than 1,200 pounds
Fun Fact: There’s some debate over how the radio state responsible for the World’s Largest Wren got its name. While some accounts say that the station chose its name from the middle letters of the word “La-wren-ce” others believe that the name came from the station’s original owner Bowersock Mills, whose main product was Jenny Wren Flour.
The History of the World’s Largest Wren
While the Meadowlark may be the Kansas state bird, the World’s Largest Wren has remained an enduring symbol of Topeka for almost 100 years.
In 1926, the radio station W.R.E.N. began its first broadcast in Lawrence, Kansas. According to local accounts, the station’s first broadcast took place in the back room of the Bowersock Mills & Power Company, with the microphone balanced on a stack of empty flour sacks.
Like any good brand, W.R.E.N. needed a lovable mascot. So, sometime in the 1930s (accounts of exactly when tend to vary), the station commissioned an unknown artist to create a giant wren statue out of wire mesh and concrete. The World’s Largest Wren proudly stood in front of the station’s studios, and photos of the original W.R.E.N. offices even show smaller wren statues flanking each door.
In 1947, the station moved to Topeka and the World’s Largest Wren came along with it. For decades, the big bird sat perched atop the station’s roof.
But in 1987, the radio station went off the air for good and some feared the World’s Largest Wren’s legacy would go with it. A few years later when a new station took over its offices, the statue was sold as part of a fundraiser. The group, Historic Topeka, Inc., purchased the big bird for $1,500 and donated it back to the city to become a local landmark. At the time, artist Buck Thomas restored and repainted the now-faded wren to bring it back to its former glory.
Today, the World’s Largest Wren calls Topeka’s tiny Huntoon Park home.
Plan Your Visit
If you’re exploring downtown Topeka, the World’s Largest Wren is conveniently located to some of the city’s top attractions, including the Kansas State Capitol. Head to the intersection of Huntoon Street and Topeka Boulevard to Huntoon Park where the big bird is encircled by a raised flowerbed, making it an awesome photo op.
Address: World’s Largest Wren, 466-498 SW Huntoon St., Topeka, KS 66612
Related Links
The Midwest is full of big birds! In case you missed it, I also recently featured the World’s Largest Booming Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota.