Thurber House

I've been visiting the Thurber House regularly since my very first trip to Columbus back in the sepia-tinted year of...1989? No sorry, 1990, my mistake. It's never failed to inspire--and a national literary landmark like this is deserving of 5+ stars once you see what the site offers. Been a dyed-in-the-wool "Thurberian" since my 8th grade literature teacher assigned us to read "My Life and Hard Times".... When the class got to the chapter on "the night the bed fell", it took 20 minutes to restore order in the classroom because we were laughing so hard! Any author who writes a book that causes cynical 8th graders to almost die laughing 44 years after publication, says much more than any eloquent words can. Humor is the hardest thing to write for posterity since linguistically much syntax shifts/morphs with every generation. It's was my fascination with Thurber that propelled me to study the whole "Algonquin Roundtable" era of US 20th century literature that included such American icons as E.B. White, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, etc., and if you are able to read some of Thurber's key works (and the more scholarly bios by Rosen, Kinney, etc) prior to visiting this site, it will make your visit to the Thurber House more enjoyable. Sorta like if you read about the Battle of Gettysburg before visiting Little Round Top, you'll gain more insights and meaning from the experience. Some must sees: 1) the stairs leading up to "grandfather's" bed in the attic (now fully renovated and serves as the quarters for selected "writers in residence"); 2) his mother's bedroom window where she threw her shoe; 3) the kitchen where the deranged cook chased his father because she thought he looked evil.... Check the web link for the latest in events, closures and COVID policies.Parking is metered along the street. OSU is fairly close by ... within view (they also have an extensive Thurber exhibit), but you have to "buck" traffic (pun intended) since access is bisected by the now prevalent interstate highway. "Buck! Your time has come!"......... to get up out of your chair and go visit the Thurber House.Thank you so much for reading my review.

Dogs are certainly allowed at the James Thurber House in Columbus, OH. Well, at least dogs carved in stone, dogs sketched on paper and dogs commemorated in the written word. I think I learned about my literary soul mate when I visited the Thurber house and discovered that Jamie, as he was affectionately called, was tall, lean, lanky, a dog lover, humorist and illustrator/writer for "The New Yorker." It's definitely worth a visit to the Thurber House if you're in Columbus. James lived here for four years while he attended Ohio State University. The house is just covered in Thurber's dog sketches and the little book store is really cool, carrying many more dog products that you could have imagined. If you're unfamiliar with his work, you might recognize the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" or the short story "The Catbird Seat." He also wrote a story called "The Dog Who Bit People," about a dog who lived in the house and big so many visitors that the family began to keep a list of names each year (it once reached 40). At Christmas Thurber's mother would then make fudge for each victim, to make up for the mishap. The tour guides here are absolutely great. Though the man I had will not be back because he's moving to Pittsburgh. When we rolled up to the house, there was only one other car parked in the lot and the car was COVERED in cartoons from the funny pages. Literally, they were just glued onto every inch of the car. The inside of it was also draped with fuzzy comic strip blankets. The tour guide's wife owned this vehicle, so clearly she has a passion for Thurber's craft. Funny anecdotes about the Thurber family peppered our fact based tour. Upstairs there is a small museum room with the goggles that Thurber wore to draw later in life. He was blind in one eye from a childhood accident and as he got older, began to lose vision in the other eye. Another awesome part of the Thurber house is the sculpture garden outside where Thurber's dogs are sculpted out of stone and playing in the grass. One especially loved dog, "The Patient Bloodhound" was my favorite and I even bought a small print of it, along with a used copy of his book "Thurber's Dogs." I loved this whimsical, kooky place so much and was really happy to have learned about it in my book "Traveling Literary America." The house also has a center next door where they run workshops for children and show art. Upstairs in the Thurber House, artists in residence can live in the attic while they toil over their work. Learn more about Thurber, his dogs, his fables and his contribution to American humor and art at The Thurber House!

I first encountered James Thurber while studying art history at Ohio State and fell in love with his writing style. Columbus is very fortunate to have been home to such a literary heavy weight. Anyone familiar with the New Yorker has inevitably heard of Thurber- the humorist, cartoonist, writer and dog lover. There is very little I can add to the wonderful review written by Christina M, but wanted to write this to vouch for everything she says. It's a neat, well-maintained house museum, located in a relatively residential area near the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD). An absolute must for lovers of all things literary. Aspiring writers will appreciate the unique resources available at the Thurber house, as well as the information on its website about annual writing workshops and conferences held both on site and around Columbus.

The Thurber House is a local landmark. Entry is free. You can walk through the rooms by yourself or have one of the volunteers guide you through the rooms. Period furniture and Thurber items fill the rooms. The dining room has been turned into a gift shop where you can buy books, notepads, post cards and other Thurber related items.Writers in Residence stay in the house on a separate floor. Who knows if the house is truly haunted or not?There is a closet which has signatures of visiting authors. It's got quite a variety of names on the walls.A reading garden contains sculptures and across the street is a statue of The Unicorn in the Garden.Next to the house is the Writing Center. Thurber House regularly holds writing classes for children and adults here. During November - National Novel Writing Month - they have been offering up one day as a write-in center. It's a good opportunity to visit the house before getting your writing on.The Thurber House holds Evenings with Authors at various venues around town which feature author readings and signings. I've seen Merrill Markoe, Chris Cleave and Susan Orlean so far.They also have picnics with authors during the summer where you can purchase a catered meal with your ticket or bring your own. I haven't been to one of these yet but they look like fun!

Had a pleasant visit with my wife and sister-in-law. Minor problem with a parking meter out front - otherwise perfect. My Dad liked Thurber, and would also regale me with anecdotes about The New Yorker founding editor Harold Ross, and E.B. White.The staff and docents were very friendly and helpful; I was even offered a free can of pop when I inquired about purchasing one to relieve my thirst - it was very hot that day.

Can't believe I didn't review this already. Sweetie and I stopped in this summer. It's a nice little museum of Thurber memorabilia, with a friendly staff. Too bad Thurber isn't better known; he is one of Columbus' most interesting writers. There's a little gift shop, and they have programs throughout the year. Come check it out!

Fantastic historical review of the life and times of James Thurber, one of America's great satirists. If you love dogs, humor, or Columbus history, you have to do this tour. Paul was a great guide and had me laughing aloud often with some wonderful stories. The house is also haunted, so there's that.

We have heard of Thurber house for years and finally decided to visit. Well worth the time! We really didn't know too much about James Thurber so their short video was very informative and even interviewed Thurber himself. Admission is free. This is one of Columbus' hidden treasures.