Lucy the Elephant, a Jersey Shore Landmark, Is Now Booking Overnight Guests Through Airbnb

One of the Jersey Shore's most iconic landmarks is hard to miss. Constructed in 1881, Lucy the Elephant looms six stories over tourists in Margate City, which is five miles south of Atlantic City in New Jersey. As Travel + Leisure reports, Airbnb is opening the unique building to overnight visitors for the first time since 1902.

Lucy has been a real estate office, a restaurant, and a private home. But for three nights in March, she'll be an Airbnb. The listing, written from the elephant's perspective, reads, "I take pride in being one of the last of my kind, with tourists still flocking to see me every year, delighting young and old generations alike. I am a National Historic Landmark and the oldest roadside attraction in America—older than even the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower in Paris!"

The one bedroom inside embodies a "fun eclectic Victorian vibe" that mimics the retro exterior. In addition to the trunk on Lucy's face, there's an antique trunk where guests can store their clothes. The space also features flower arrangements, a canopy bed, and a view of the ocean.

The Airbnb is hosted by Richard Helfant, who first started volunteering at the site as a teenager 50 years ago. Lucy was nearly demolished in 1969 following years of neglect, but thanks to a group of volunteers, the structure was renovated and reopened to visitors. Today Helfant is the director of the nonprofit that maintains and runs the tourist attraction, which welcomes about 132,000 people to the landmark each year.

Lucy the Elephant is available to rent for March 17, 18, and 19, and stays costs $138 per night. If you're interested in taking a Jersey Shore vacation of epic proportions, try booking the listing when it goes live on March 5.