Lucy The Elephant at 138: Standing the test of time

Lucy The Elephant, the 65-foot-tall Margate landmark, turns 138 Saturday. The country's oldest roadside attraction has withstood natural disasters and threats of demolition.

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Lucy The Elephant in 1895 stands at Atlantic Avenue and  Decatur Street, Margate City, N.J. (Library of Congress)

Lucy The Elephant in 1895 stands at Atlantic Avenue and Decatur Street, Margate City, N.J. (Library of Congress)

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Lucy The Elephant — the 65-foot-tall wooden structure that stands as a venerable Margate landmark— turns 138 years old on Saturday. The oldest roadside attraction in the United States has withstood natural disasters and threats of demolition, but she’s still attracting thousands to the Jersey Shore every summer. WHYY’s Joe Hernandez explains why the pachyderm is still so beloved.

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