Futuro, Beach Guy, Elephant, Twistee Treat - Livingston, IL
N 38° 57.609 W 089° 45.889
16S E 260436 N 4315990
An old Futuro home, the Beach Guy, a pink elephant, and the Twistee Treat ice cream stand are among the attractions you'll find at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall at 908 Veterans Memorial Dr, Livingston, IL.
Waymark Code: WMX1EA
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 11/12/2017
Views: 3
There once was a service station here at a time when Route 66 was enjoying its heyday, just barely touching the eastern part of Livingston as it made its way across America. This attraction would have fit in very nicely with the kitsch that was Route 66, and it wasn't long after Livingston High School closed up in 2004 that the Pink Elephant moved in. Today, there are over fifty vendors under its roof, and all kinds of interesting attractions, including:
- An old Futuro home, rescued around 2009 and moved here from a location near Springfield. It really is "look, don't touch" -- they have signs telling you to not get into it or climb on it -- but it's been restored a bit, with a nice green coat of paint that would match the little green men that would normally be flying around in it. Originally designed as a portable home/cabin, the flying saucer-shaped Futuro was a massive failure, generally considered an eyesore, and there may be sixty of these remaining today.
- An old Paul Bunyan type Muffler Man who once lived inside the Pink Elephant, but now, wearing his new duds as a Harley-Davidson Man, he stands watch over I-55 on the antique mall's front grounds.
- A life-size and very appropriate pink elephant stands in front of an old truck trailer that advertises the antique mall. He once stood on the grounds of The Coliseum in Benld, IL, which was a dance hall that also became an antique mall. Yes, Benld.
- "Beach Guy", as he's known, once accompanied the pink elephant at The Coliseum, and he was moved here sometime around 2006. He'd actually been in front of a gay bar in St. Louis at one point! He's 24' tall, and once sported a blue bathing suit. Still holding an ice cream cone, today, he's wearing a pink, "Pink Elephant" shirt, and his blue trunks are now white. He made a cameo in the movie, "Flatliners".
- The Twistee Treat ice cream stand resembles an ice cream cone, or at least a cup, with soft-serve ice cream. They sell the kinds of things you'd expect, with both soft-serve and hand-scooped ice cream, along with drinks and other snacks. This one was purchased from someone in Pennsylvania, disassembled into pieces, and put back together after being moved across the country.
- A giant pink and white tricycle, provenance unknown, faces I-55, looking like it's ready for a rider, but they don't want you playing on it. You'd need to have long arms and long legs to move it along, in any event. Note the cool tassles like the ones that many of us had on our childhood bicycle handles.
- The latest attraction is an old Uniroyal Gal, who has actually been here some time, on her side by the building. Her bikini has been covered by a waitress's outfit -- note the pink elephants on her apron -- and she's ready to take your order. Or just tell the folks at the Twistee Treat what you'd like.
While the Pink Elephant Antique Mall itself is open from 9:30 AM to 5 PM, all of these attractions are viewable during daylight hours.
Price of Admission: 0.00 (listed in local currency)
Weekday Hours: From: 9:30 AM To: 5:00 PM
Weekend Hours: From: 9:30 AM To: 5:00 PM
Roadside Attractions Website: [Web Link]
Location Website: [Web Link]
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