About Lucy the Elephant
A six-story elephant stands a block from the Atlantic in Margate, complete with stairs inside her legs and a viewing room in her back. Lucy was built in 1881 to lure buyers to a seaside real-estate development. The scheme faded, but the elephant stayed.
She survived fire, storms, and a 1970 move down the street. Today, visitors can walk around the grounds or take a guided tour through the hollow structure. The view from the howdah is fun, but the strangest part is simply that a Victorian advertising gimmick became one of New Jersey’s most beloved buildings. Check the tour schedule before going.