Lucy the Elephant Gears Up for Major Renovations with New Welcome Center by 2026
Next spring marks the beginning of construction on a new welcome center at Lucy the Elephant, Margate’s beloved landmark. Crews will first tear down the old gift shop to create space for a modern 2,200-square-foot facility.
While work is underway, shoppers can find Lucy’s merchandise at a temporary location on Atlantic Avenue. The current tight space and tricky stairs have long been a headache for the thousands who visit this unique attraction each year.
By winter 2026, guests will enter a new space with accessible restrooms, detailed historical exhibits, and a larger shop. This improvement follows a recent $2.5 million facelift that brought back the giant pachyderm’s exterior glory.
This enormous structure, built during Victorian times, stands six stories tall and weighs as much as 45 cars. Its outer shell, carefully made from tin sheets, makes it one-of-a-kind in American history.
Each year, visitors flock to the site to see this unusual attraction. Last year, it ranked first on USA Today’s list of must-see roadside attractions.
The creator of Lucy, James Lafferty, owned exclusive rights to build animal-shaped buildings. His creation features windows placed throughout its body, with an innovative spiral staircase hidden in its back leg.
Over the years, Lucy’s rooms have served many purposes, from feeding hungry guests to hosting business meetings and serving drinks. When demolition loomed in ’69, local supporters came together, moving her to safety the following year.
“It’s a much different elephant now,” said Richard Helfant, executive director of the nonprofit organization that maintains the historic structure, The current building simply cannot handle the volume of traffic we are so fortunate to have, and we currently do not have public access ADA-compliant restrooms for our visitors.”
The new visitor center, planned to start construction in fall 2025, finishes years of work balancing modern amenities with historical preservation.
Lucy remains the only survivor today, the last of three giant elephants Lafferty imagined to attract attention and sell property in the 1800s.
From her howdah platform high above the ground, visitors enjoy amazing beach views. Each summer, supporters gather to celebrate the day she found her permanent home.
