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Tucson Tiki Noggin To Survive Magic Carpet

March 28, 2008

The immense stucco sculptures that have awed patrons of Magic Carpet Golf in Tucson, AZ since the 1970s will be saved. Well, most of them, anyway. Fears were raised earlier this year when it was learned that a Mercedes-Benz dealership from Phoenix had bought the old mini-golf course and was planning to bulldoze the Sphinx, monkey, Buddha, dinosaur, mutant orchid, and three-story-tall Tiki head.

A local folk art landmark, Valley of the Moon, offered to adopt some of statues as its own. But it couldn’t take the Tiki, which was simply too big.

The Tucson Citizen is reporting that the owner of local Tiki-themed club the “Hut” has offered to take in the big head, even if he’s not quite sure how to move it. And the Valley of the Moon organization is hopeful the remaining statues can be scattered throughout Tucson’s parks and plazas, where the desert climate will help preserve them.

We bet they can also count on the respect and restraint passing vandals typically exercise when encountering a giant bow-legged monkey.

As a collection of fantasy sculpture golf hazards, Magic Carpet Golf is a virtual replica of the older Goofy Golf in Panama City Beach, FL. No surprise — the same guy (Lee Koplin) built ‘em.

Sections: Attraction News, Statues