Just the name is intriguing, right? What is this elephant named Lucy? When you find out that it’s a historical monument made out of tin and wood and stands 6 stories high, you just have to know more about her.
The History
Lucy was built in 1881 in Margate City, a suburb of Atlantic City, by James Lafferty as a real estate promotion. Lafferty was hoping to attract residents and tourists to the town. In the ensuing years, Lucy has become an icon and is older than the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower! In fact, she is the oldest historic novelty architecture in the United States.
Mr. Lafferty spent $25,000 to build this Dumbo lookalike out of more than a million pieces of wood. Her original name was Elephant Bazaar. She stands 65 feet tall, 60 feet long, weighs 90 tons, is the 12th largest statue in the United States and the largest elephant in the world. As a roadside attraction, Lucy was the world’s first!
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The Early Years
Lucy wore many hats in the early years, that of a tavern (shut down due to prohibition), a cottage, an office and a restaurant, but by the 1960’s she was run down and her popularity had subsided. She was actually scheduled for demolition, but Margate residents came through in a big way and gave her a much needed dose of new blood. The restoration began.
In the 1970’s Lucy was named a protected national landmark and was moved from her original location about 100 yards further back from the shoreline as a means to better protect her from the elements. She is a survivor. She has been struck by lightning twice and has weathered many Atlantic Ocean storms over the years.
Lucy is an Airbnb!
In 2020 Lucy was opened off and on for Airbnb stays at a rate of $138 per night which reflects the number of years Lucy had served at that time as an attraction at the Jersey shore. For Airbnb reservations: Airbnb.com/lucy. This was the first time Lucy was inhabited since it was rented as a home in the early 1900’s.
Lucy was closed again in 2021 for major repairs but opened for the summer 2022 season. Note to please call ahead (609-823-6473) because Lucy requires regular maintenance and is sometimes closed for short periods.
Present Day
Lucy currently draws 100,000 visitors annually and is a unique destination for a day trip with your family. She was featured in the 2015 movie Vacation and has also been promoted on the Travel Channel. A spiral staircase will take you to the “howdah” which is the small structure on the top of Lucy to enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding areas. Inside Lucy you can climb through her leg and stomach, then peer out of her eye. You’ll be awed by historical artifacts throughout this journey.
On July 20th of each year Lucy’s birthday is celebrated with children’s games and events so if you’ll be in the area plan to stop in with your kids. They’ll love it.
Please note that business hours can change without notice but current summer hours are:
- Sun-Thur 10am-5pm (final tour begins at 4:15pm)
- Fri-Sat 10am-8pm (final tour begins at 7:15pm)
Guided tour tickets can be purchased in the gift shop and start every 45 minutes.
Lucy the Elephant is located at 1 Lucy Plaza, 9200 Atlantic Avenue, Margate City, NJ 08402 and can be reached at 609-823-6473
At the north end of the Boardwalk in between Hard Rock and Ocean casinos you’ll find Showboat which has a very large arcade and an enormous new waterpark opening Memorial Day weekend, 2023. You might want to check out Does Atlantic City Have Waterparks.
If you’re interested in Lucy, that may mean you’ll be traveling with you kids, so another article that might give you some ideas is our Things To Do in and Around Atlantic City with the Kids. Maybe a dolphin watching cruise would fascinate them. I know it would me!
