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Lucy the Elephant, Margate, NJ
SightseeingIconicQuirky FunFamily Favorite

Lucy the Elephant

9200 Atlantic Avenue · Margate, NJ

Why you should go…

Lucy the Elephant is a six-story wooden elephant structure built in 1881 on the beach in Margate, New Jersey, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Visitors climb inside for a guided tour of the elephant's history and views from the howdah on top. The nonprofit Save Lucy Committee has owned and maintained her since 1970.

  • #roadside attraction
  • #national historic landmark
  • #jersey shore
  • #margate

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Lucy the Elephant, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    OCNJ Watersports Aqua Park

    $25–$50

    Ocean City's inflatable water obstacle course on the bay, with slides, monkey bars and climbing walls run in supervised 45-minute sessions.

    3.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    The Beachy Tiki

    $25–$50

    Tiki-hut boat cruises on Ocean City's back bays, from a 32-seat catamaran with public sailings to six-guest private Little Tikis, May to September.

    3.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Bayview Watersports Marina

    $50+

    Bayside marina on Bay Avenue in Ocean City with jet ski and WaveRunner rentals, tubing, kayaking and parasailing, open daily in season.

    3.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Family Favorite

    Ocean City, New Jersey

    Free

    A family-friendly, alcohol-free Jersey Shore beach town with a two-mile boardwalk of rides, games, and old-school shore food.

    4.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Atlantic City

    Free

    The Jersey Shore's classic casino-and-Boardwalk resort town.

    5.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Absecon Lighthouse

    Under $25

    New Jersey's tallest lighthouse, with a 228-step climb to sweeping views of Atlantic City.

    6.1 mi awayMore like this