Despite renovation, Lucy the Elephant will be open for holiday tours

Lucy the Elephant, the pride of Margate, will re-open temporarily for holiday tours this month. Lucy is in the middle of a $2 million renovation, but that is currently on hold due to the scarcity of building materials. According to the Press of Atlantic City, while she was scheduled to re-open for Memorial Day 2022, now the target date is August, but tours will resume before all the renovations are complete.

Lucy, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark In 1976, was originally built in 1881 by a real estate developer hoping to sell lots in Margate (then known as South Atlantic City), the six-story pachyderm served as an office, a tavern, and a cottage before falling into disrepair in the 1960s. She was even scheduled for demolition.

The Save Lucy Committee was formed and raised the money to both move her and renovate her. In 1970, she was moved about 100 yards to a city-owned lot and the original wood structure was buttressed by steel. She has now been in the same spot for 50 years. Tours became available in 1974.

After 50 years, renovations were necessary again to replace her “skin”; more than 50% of the metal skin had deteriorated beyond repair and needed to be replaced.

The holiday tours will be available starting Dec. 15 and run until Jan. 2 with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

In a release quoted by the Press of Atlantic City, Richard Helfant, executive director and CEO of the Save Lucy Committee said “We are thrilled to be able to offer tours inside Lucy for the holidays and give our visitors a chance to see the $2 million restoration up close.”

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now: