Lucy the Elephant

Lucy the Elephant is a six-story wooden and tin-sheet building shaped like an elephant on the New Jersey coast. A spiral staircase runs through the back leg to the upper levels, and interior rooms offer ocean views through windows set into the sides.

Philadelphia architect James Lafferty built the structure in 1881 as a real estate sales pavilion for nearby land. Authorities declared it a landmark in 1976 after decades of use as a residence and tavern.

The structure transformed from a real estate office to a hotel, summer residence, and tavern before becoming a protected historical landmark in 1976.

Guided tours through the interior run most days of the week and allow visitors to climb the spiral staircase and see the rooms inside the body. The location on the oceanfront road makes it easy to reach on foot or by car.

The United States Patent Office granted James Lafferty exclusive rights in 1882 to design and build animal-shaped buildings for seventeen years. He erected other similar structures along the coast, but they no longer survive.

Location: Margate City

Inception: 1881

Architects: James V. Lafferty

Architectural style: novelty architecture

Address: Atlantic Avenue

Website: https://lucytheelephant.org

GPS coordinates: 39.32089,-74.51169

Latest update: December 12, 2025 18:02