St. Augustine, Florida: Bluebird of Happiness
A strange, deteriorated orange bird from the 1940s was painted blue and transformed into the bluebird of happiness, currently advertising Vilano Beach and posing with fun-loving tourists.
- Address:
- 180 Vilano Rd, St. Augustine, FL
- Directions:
- Vilano Road, very near the Vilano Beach Public Pier, north side of street.
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The big Bluebird of Happiness in Vilano Beach, Florida, is from the mid-1970s. The reason I know this is because the bird was an inspiration from the "Happiness is" campaign Florida had with Anita Bryant. My parents owned a citrus shop on San Marco Avenue, and they built it. My Mother and I went to Tampa to get the forms for the fiberglass body and head.
[Elise Longino, 03/04/2020]
Had a fun time visiting the area and checking out this big dude!
[OffbeatJimmy, 03/13/2019]
The Bluebird of Happiness is still looking good on the Vilano Beach pier.
[Ron, 12/01/2014]The Bluebird has moved (very) slightly onto the pier itself. It now greets visitors out in the open, rather than from behind a fence off to the side. It's showing a bit of wear, with a big crack in its beak, but it's still brightly painted and cheerful as ever.
[Prof. .a., 08/24/2012]
A beloved icon from the 1940s was restored to Vilano Beach, St. Augustine, Florida. Originally an orange bird promoting oranges, it was purchased by the wife of a motel owner, painted blue and transformed into the Bluebird of Happiness.
In 2008, the Main Street Group brought the 8-foot bird to a sandy lot in the Vilano Beach Town Center where it stands today, ready to pose for vacation photos.
[D. Moore, 08/24/2011]In pre-makeover photos, the orange bird (of unhappiness?) was deformed and stood on a pair of stubby legs. Sorry we missed that!
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Anita Bryant used the "Happiness is" theme in her halftime show performance at the 1973 Super Bowl, where Miami became the first and only NFL team to complete an undefeated season.