Roadside Art: Lucy the Margate Elephant

Sam and I do a lot of domestic traveling and we’re always on the lookout for fun and interesting things. Over the years we’ve become BIG FANS of street art done by local artists. Street Art can be in the form of wall murals, graffiti, statues, memorials, etc.

While on a road trip through the great state of New Jersey we spotted the famous Lucy the Margate Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey. If you’re unfamiliar with the area, Margate City sits between Atlantic City and Ocean City, New Jersey.

Lucy was made in 1881 by James V. Lafferty from tin sheeting and wood. She was constructed to help promote real estate sales and to draw in tourists. What’s really fascinating is that she’s the oldest roadside tourist attraction that is still standing today. Wow. Amazing!

In honor of our weekly travel feature I wanted to introduce you to Lucy the Margate Elephant and give you just a little bit of information about her. Have you ever seen her? Ever hear about her? If you’re interested in learning more…you can do a web search online and find additional information. She’s super-cool to see!