Live ducks have paddled in the grand lobby fountain of the Peabody Hotel since 1933. And since 1940 they have performed the "March of the Ducks" twice a day. At 11 AM a red carpet is unfurled, the "King Cotton March" is played, and five mallard ducks ride a special elevator from their Royal Duck Palace on the roof to the hotel lobby, then waddle directly into the stately marble fountain. At 5 PM the procedure is reversed.
On both ends the ducks are led by a human "duckmaster" in a scarlet-and-gold-trimmed jacket. Each duck team only lasts three months before they are retired. The first duckmaster, however, held the job for over 50 years.
Assurances at the Peabody: "My dear -- don't let the ducks distress you."
The Royal Duck Palace underwent expensive renovations in 2008, upgraded from a metal cage and funky tent enclosure to a modern glass-enclosed penthouse.
Try to arrive early if you want to see the Marches. The Peabody lobby is usually packed with duck-happy shutterbugs jockeying for position.
If you can't get to Memphis, there's another Peabody Hotel in Florida, with its own set of ducks.
