About Pelican Pete
Pelican Pete stands 15.5 feet tall beside the Pelican River, gazing toward the Mill Pond Dam with a fish tucked securely in his oversized beak.
The concrete-and-plaster bird was built for Pelican Rapids’ 1957 Jubilee celebration. What began as a temporary civic mascot became a permanent landmark and a cheerful visual pun on the city’s name.
Pete is free to visit outdoors near downtown. The river, dam, and nearby park turn the giant bird into an easy stop with more scenery than the average roadside statue.