This elephant is the room.
A 138-year-old wooden elephant, built to lure travelers to the Jersey Shore, is now a hotel — for three nights only.
On March 17, 18 and 19, Airbnb is offering the opportunity to stay overnight at Lucy the Elephant, an iconic, oversize structure in Margate, NJ. It’s located just five miles south of Atlantic City, the state’s gambling mecca.
The National Park Service-registered historic landmark has six stories that boast Victorian-era furnishings as they would have looked during the early 20th century — when Lucy served as a summer home — as well as a single bed and bath.
The short-term rental company is hosting a listing offering Lucy to two guests on each of the three nights in March at $138 a stay — which includes a talk by Richard Helfant, “Lucy’s human counterpart” and executive director of the Save Lucy Committee, which restored Lucy from near-demolition status in 1969.
“Our community has had its ups and downs in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,” Helfant writes in the listing’s description, “but through it all, Lucy has stood as a testament to the resilience of our community.”
Since being built in 1881, Lucy has served as a tavern, a private home and a hotel — at one point hosting former President Woodrow Wilson. It has perpetually been a roadside attraction for the seaside town.
Reservations for the three available nights open at noon EST on March 5. While it’s sure to be competitive to nab one of the three available nights, Airbnb says staying at Lucy is not a contest.
And for the slow-fingered folks who don’t score a sleepover in the iconic elephant, there are also 30-minute guided tours available year-round.
