Pinky the Elephant.

Pinky the Elephant

Marquette, Iowa

Bleary-eyed Pinky, her top hat askew, formerly stood in front of the Pink Elephant Supper Club; we have a photo from the early 1980s. Now she stands outside of the Isle of Capri Casino, and is a much-loved (if now out-of-context) civic symbol, freshly waxed and shining in the sunlight.

Built by promotional wizard Bob Reis in 1963, Pinky's moment of great glory came in August 1978, when Reis somehow made her water-ski on the Mississippi River to honor a visiting President Carter.

Pinky the Elephant

Isle of Capri Casino

Address:: Great River Rd, Marquette, IA
Directions:: Just south of US Hwy 18 on Hwy 76/1st St., on the southbound side, next to a pedestrian overpass in front of the Isle of Capri Casino.
RA Rates:: Worth a Detour

Nearby Offbeat Places

Carved Sturgeon Photo Opportunity, Prairie du Chien, WI - 2 mi.
Towboat L. Wade Childress, Prairie du Chien, WI - 4 mi.
Spook Cave: Underground Boat Tour, McGregor, IA - 7 mi.
In the region: Igor, Cheese Loving Rat, Fennimore, WI - 27 mi.

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May 22, 2013