Lucy The Elephant Up For Best Roadside Attraction In The U.S.

Photo: ggustin / iStock Unreleased / Getty Images

Lucy the Elephant, a beloved landmark on the Jersey Shore, is in the running for the title of Best Roadside Attraction in the United States. The six-story tall structure, which also houses a museum, is competing against 18 other quirky landmarks in a poll conducted by USA Today.

Lucy, who has been a part of the Margate community for nearly 143 years, is up against attractions like a giant Dalmatian fire hydrant in Texas, a sculpture called "Carhenge" in Nebraska, and a towering Van Gogh inspired painting and easel in Kansas.

"It's really exciting to be listed with all those other sites," said Richard Helfant to WCAU-TV, the executive director of Lucy the Elephant. "There's nothing quite like Lucy."

The non-profit organization that manages Lucy is hopeful that this attention will also help bring in donations for a major restoration project planned to start in September. The project will focus on Lucy's interior and replace the old gift shop with a state-of-the-art welcome center.

“By being featured in USA Today, which is a national publication, it's huge. It's priceless publicity for us whether we win or not," Helfant explained.

Public voting is open until May 6th, and anyone can vote once a day. The top ten winners will be announced on May 15th. Lucy the Elephant is already the country's oldest roadside attraction, and now she's eyeing the title of the best.


View Full Site