The Jersey Shore's famous six-story elephant is getting lots of company this summer and some significant help from the federal government.
The funds will help pay for much of a major restoration project for Lucy the Elephant in Margate, New Jersey.
She's solidly grounded in her tradition of making a giant impression.
"It's really like big and it's cool to see. And I just love being inside it," Francesca Antonelli, of Toronto, Canada, said.
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Lucy the Elephant is having an especially busy summer months after the beloved beachfront pachyderm was voted the nation's number one roadside attraction in a USA Today online poll.
"We’ve seen a tremendous uptick in visitors," executive director Richard Helfant told NBC10.
Inside, Lucy houses a museum and the 143-year-old national historic landmark is showing her age.
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There is visible scarring on her plaster walls from water leaking in.
"It looks very unsightly and the plaster is damaged to the point where it needs to be repaired," Helfant explained.
A half-million dollar federal grant will foot most of the bill for a planned $750,000 restoration project that will be focused on Lucy's interior.
She'll also have her floors refinished and receive improvements to the fire suppression and burglar alarm systems.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker handed over the ceremonial check to the non-profit on Friday afternoon.
"We could not be more thrilled that the Senator has adopted us as one of his pets," Helfant said.
Parts of Lucy’s current air conditioning system are more than a half-century old. But she’s set to get a major, state-of-the-art upgrade. And that’s important when it comes to her preservation.
"She tends to sweat from the inside out. It's really really important that dehumidification is in here to keep the wood sheathing from rotting," Helfant explained.
The project is expected to begin late next year or in early 2026, depending on the progress of the new visitor's center that is also in the works.
There's a lot of changes ahead as this iconic piece of the Jersey Shore stands tall in popularity.
