A light show lit up Lucy the Elephant during an unveiling ceremony in Margate on Dec. 28. Photo courtesy of NJ Advance Media

December 2022 update: Lucy the Elephant has reopened to the public after a $2.4 million restoration that included replacing her metal exterior, completely repairing her wooden framing, giving her a fresh coat of paint and a check for leaks in her new exterior. The second phase will include updating her interior’s 52-year-old HVAC system, fixing the damaged plaster, upgrading the fire and alarm systems and renovating the floors.

New Jersey icons like Bon Jovi and Springsteen may be adored by many, but there’s no doubt that everybody loves Lucy. 

Her wondrous gaze and warm presence fill the heart of every person she encounters with an infectious jolt of joy: her colorful nails, polished tusk and extravagant carriage an outward embodiment of her charismatic nature. Lucy may not move or make any noises — she is a 65-foot-tall, 90-ton elephant made of wood and metal after all — but what she lacks in movement she more than makes up for with a gargantuan spirit. And when you feel that spirit and the surreal sense of comfort and connection that come with it, you’ll get the gist of why this beloved giant lives and breathes in the eyes of her beholders. 

“When people look at Lucy, they don’t think of her as a building. They think of her as being alive and real,” said Richard Helfant, executive director and CEO of Lucy the Elephant. “Even we do. We talk about her as if she were a living thing; it’s not just wood and sheet metal. There’s this spirit to her that has transcended for generations … it has the same effect as the feeling you felt when watching ‘Field of Dreams.’ It’s bizarre, but it’s really there.” 

While it still may not make sense to some, to truly know and love America’s oldest roadside attraction in Margate City is to understand and appreciate her history. 

Originally created by real estate developer James Lafferty in 1881 as a gimmick to attract buyers to this sliver of the Shore, Lucy started her life as somewhat of a shapeshifter thanks to the shifting sands of the area’s economic landscape. After her lost allure as a real estate prop (her first function was a real estate office), she morphed into a thriving tourist attraction under the ownership of the Gertzen family through the first half of the 20th century, intermixed with brief stints as a tavern and summer cottage. 

Lucy at her current location along Atlantic Avenue in 1973, one year before she received much-needed renovations. Photo courtesy of the Save Lucy Committee Inc.

As jet travel took off in the 1960s, and people swapped packing trunks for packing planes, Lucy became all but forgotten. Hurricanes and floods took her to the brink of death, but through it all she stood tall, refusing to be squashed, and waiting patiently for a handler who could hand her a new lease on life. Thankfully, that handler was Edwin Carpenter, who swooped in to save the day by forming the Save Lucy Committee in 1969. Facing the threat of permanent demise, Carpenter rallied fellow committee members and the local community together the following year and raised enough money to move Lucy two blocks to her current location along Atlantic Avenue. 

Once the move was complete and major renovations were made to her body, Lucy welcomed the world back to her humble abode at the beach in 1974, ushering in an era of renewed love for this rebellious pachyderm. Out of this love sparked a tradition for many fans that has spanned decades. 

“People come here now with their grandchildren who were originally brought here by their grandparents,” said Helfant, who also serves as executive director of the Save Lucy Committee Inc. “We get a lot of repeat visitors who come year after year after year. It’s part of a ritual to get a Lucy T-shirt and bring their kids, their grandkids and, in some cases, their great-grandkids. We get people who come and want to get married here because their grandparents brought them here as little kids, and it’s a tie to their childhood.” 

Guided tours serve as an educational opportunity for visitors to get a truncated version of Lucy’s storied history. Photo courtesy of NJ Advance Media

It’s not just weddings: it’s engagements, Sweet 16 parties, bar mitzvahs, corporate events. Each year, around 132,000 people flock to the National Historic Landmark — some as far away as New Zealand and Australia — for special occasions or simply just to snap a picture and say ‘hey’ to the wide-eyed icon. Famous faces, like former President Herbert Hoover, Henry Ford, Liberace and Wanda Sykes, have all stopped by to get in her good graces, too. Her impact is so indelible, in fact, that Lucy has been left in people’s wills, while others have made donations to her in memory of a loved one. 

Perhaps it’s that trademark stubborn and independent nature that make people swoon when they see her, but Helfant put it best: “There are lots of statuaries, there are lots of museums, there are lots of parks, but there is only one six-story giant elephant that’s going to be 140 years old in July.” 

As Lucy celebrates her historic birthday on July 17, she will continue her triumphal trot as the oldest surviving example of zoomorphic architecture in the United States, with exciting plans for the future. A $2.4 million renovation project is ongoing while a combined state-of-the-art interpretive center and gift shop is in the works as well. 

Venture up to Lucy’s towering howdah for a sweeping view of the Jersey Shore. Photo courtesy of NJ Advance Media

If you want to visit Lucy or lend your support, guided tours are a great option to see inside her hallowed interior and venture up to her towering howdah for stunning, seaside views. You can also sign up for a Friends of Lucy membership and get access to tons of perks, like discounts, giveaways and multiuse passes. Find additional information by calling 609-823-6473 or by clicking here. 

When you walk into the belly of this cherished creature, don’t forget you can only find her … Just in Jersey. 

Lucy the Elephant is located at 9200 Atlantic Ave., Margate City, N.J. 08402. 

Admission prices are as follows: 

Adults (ages 13 and older): $8.50 

Children (ages 3 to 12): $4 

Children (ages 2 and younger): Free 

Hunter Hulbert is the Just in Jersey features writer for Jersey’s Best magazine. Have a suggestion for a story? Contact him at hhulbert@njadvancemedia.com. To read more stories like this, click here.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.