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All the United States North Carolina Rankin Museum of American Heritage

Rankin Museum of American Heritage

A collection of memorabilia from the estate of former professional wrestler Andre the Giant.

Ellerbe, North Carolina

Added By
Eric Lamb
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The Andre the Giant collection   ericjlamb / Atlas Obscura User
The Andre the Giant collection   ericjlamb / Atlas Obscura User
Andre the Giant in a wrestling match   Ethan / CC BY 2.0
Andre the Giant in 1973   Andre Rene Russimof
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About

The Rankin Museum of American Heritage in Ellerbe, North Carolina, is an above-average local museum, with a well-curated collection of artifacts from the local region, various periods, and stuffed fauna from around the world. There are some nice pieces related to the history of the area as a commercial center, the history of Richmond County as a hub for NASCAR racing, and a very large collection of Native American artifacts. 

But the main event at the Rankin Museum is a wing dedicated to Ellerbe's most famous former resident: André René Roussimoff, better known as Andre the Giant. He settled in the area in the 1970s and purchased a large ranch where he could raise longhorn cattle and escape the limelight of his public career. Roussimoff developed strong friendships with many of the locals, who adopted him into their circles and allowed him to just be himself (all seven feet and four inches of himself).

After he died, he left all of his land to his daughter, who has since sold the property. But all of the items inside the house were left to close friends Frenchy Bernard and Jackie McAuley. Frenchy had helped to maintain the property while Andre was away and the two had a close friendship. Frenchy's wife, Jackie, worked with the Rankin Museum to curate the items they inherited from Andre to create the wing of wrestling memorabilia that is now on display.

Related Tags

Wrestling Museums And Collections

Know Before You Go

There's not a whole lot in Ellerbe, but there are still folks around town at the local shops who knew Andre during his time there.  There also aren't a lot of food options in the area, so plan to bring your lunch or head down the road to nearby Rockingham if you need to grab food on your outing.

Community Contributors

Added By

ericjlamb

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

December 12, 2023

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  • https://pinestrawmag.com/andre-of-ellerbe/
  • https://www.ourstate.com/andre-the-giant-north-carolina/
  • https://www.ourstate.com/andre-the-giant-north-carolina/
Rankin Museum of American Heritage
131 Church St
Ellerbe, North Carolina, 28338
United States
35.072436, -79.762987
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Nearby Places

Town Creek Indian Mound

Mount Gilead, North Carolina

miles away

Creation Museum, Taxidermy Hall of Fame, and Antique Tool Museum

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of North Carolina

North Carolina

United States

Places 199
Stories 34

Nearby Places

Town Creek Indian Mound

Mount Gilead, North Carolina

miles away

Creation Museum, Taxidermy Hall of Fame, and Antique Tool Museum

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miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of North Carolina

North Carolina

United States

Places 199
Stories 34

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