page_title: Lucy the Elephant
section_title: 2000–present
hierarchical_section_title: Lucy the Elephant / History / 2000–present
caption_attribution_description: English: Lucy the Margate Elephant, Atlantic Avenue &amp; Decatur Street, Margate City, Atlantic County, NJ.
context_page_description: Lucy the Elephant is a six-story elephant-shaped example of novelty architecture, constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1881 by James V. Lafferty in Margate City, New Jersey, approximately five miles south of Atlantic City. Originally named Elephant Bazaar, Lucy was built to promote real estate sales and attract tourists. Today, Lucy is the oldest surviving roadside tourist attraction in America.
context_section_description: Every July 20, the building's birthday is celebrated with children's games and much fanfare.
  In 2006, Lucy was struck by lightning, blackening the tips of the tusks. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall near Margate. Lucy remained unscathed, although the surge reached the building's toes and a small booth in the parking lot was blown over.
  On July 23, 2016, Lucy announced her fake candidacy for President of the United States at a celebration for her 135th birthday. In 2016, Lucy had 135,000 visitors at the site, 35,000 of whom took the guided tour.
  On February 27, 2020, Lucy became the first and only National Historic Landmark allowing overnight stays. Lucy was listed on Airbnb for $138 per night on March 17, 18 and 19, 2020. It marked the first time Lucy had been inhabited by humans since it was rented as a home in the early 1900s.
caption: HABS image
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