Vienna in Dane County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
MISSING
SEE LOCATION SECTION
The Story of the Pink Elephant
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, October 3, 2019
1. The Story of the Pink Elephant Marker
Inscription.
The Story of the Pink Elephant. . The Pink Elephant has been at this gas station since the mid-late 1960's. The elephant was brought here because the owner was looking for a way to make his gas station to stand out from the other stations on this intersection. The elephant has been here ever since.
It certainly is a road-side attraction and landmark in the area!
This Pink Elephant along with others were produced by Sculptured Advertising in Sparta, WI. Pinky was the first produced Pink Elephant and was installed in 1963 in front of the Pink Elephant Supper Club in Marquette, IA. The Marquette elephant never had the cool sunglasses though. Other pink elephants were produced for Arco Gas Stations in the area that all displayed Pink Elephants. Our famous Pink Elephant is the last one left in this area. A few other elephants can be found at car washes, antique malls and car dealerships in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee.
Many people would stop here to take photos with the elephant and continue to do so today. Some tourists even tell us they have pictures of their children with the elephant from years ago and are now stopping to show their grandchildren.
The Pink Elephant has had several owners over the years and has endured too much graffiti but with each change of hands the Pink Elephant has been loved and cherished. This gas station is known for the Pink Elephant, has lots of Pink Elephant merchandise and works hard to keep him clean. There isn't one name associated with our Pink Elephant; most refer to him as "Pinkie". Pinkie loves to see visitors and is still so photogenic! . This historical marker is in Vienna in Dane County Wisconsin
The Pink Elephant has been at this gas station since the mid-late 1960's. The elephant was brought here because the owner was looking for a way to make his gas station to stand out from the other stations on this intersection. The elephant has been here ever since.
It certainly is a road-side attraction and landmark in the area!
This Pink Elephant along with others were produced by Sculptured Advertising in Sparta, WI. Pinky was the first produced Pink Elephant and was installed in 1963 in front of the Pink Elephant Supper Club in Marquette, IA. The Marquette elephant never had the cool sunglasses though. Other pink elephants were produced for Arco Gas Stations in the area that all displayed Pink Elephants. Our famous Pink Elephant is the last one left in this area. A few other elephants can be found at car washes, antique malls and car dealerships in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee.
Many people would stop here to take photos with the elephant and continue to do so today. Some tourists even tell us they have pictures of their children with the elephant from years ago and are now stopping to show their grandchildren.
The
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Pink Elephant has had several owners over the years and has endured too much graffiti but with each change of hands the Pink Elephant has been loved and cherished. This gas station is known for the Pink Elephant, has lots of Pink Elephant merchandise and works hard to keep him clean. There isn't one name associated with our Pink Elephant; most refer to him as "Pinkie". Pinkie loves to see visitors and is still so photogenic!
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1963.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 43° 15.003′ N, 89° 22.828′ W. Marker was in Vienna, Wisconsin, in Dane County. Marker was on West North Street (County Road V) east of Hickory Lane (County Road I), on the right when traveling east. Next to the Shell Gas Station. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 4995 Co Rd V, De Forest WI 53532, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 970 times since then and 311 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on October 13, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 2. submitted on August 27, 2020, by Jim Schaettle of Madison, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on October 13, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 5. submitted on August 27, 2020, by Jim Schaettle of Madison, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
The Pink Elephant has been at this gas station since the mid-late 1960's. The elephant was brought here because the owner was looking for a way to make his gas station to stand out from the other stations on this intersection. The elephant has been here ever since.
