Elephant Car Wash (Gone)
Seattle, WA
Photo courtesy Chris Richey

It's hard not to smile when you spot the giant pink Elephant Car Wash sign towering over the street. One of the family of Elephant car washes, this oversized elephant appears to be giving itself a bath, with a stream of little light bulbs creating the water spraying from its trunk. It's one of those wonderfully over-the-top roadside creations that could only come from the golden age of neon. 

The downtown Seattle car wash opened in the 1950s, and the rotating elephant became one of the city's best-known landmarks. Long before the Space Needle dominated the skyline, this cheerful pachyderm was already turning heads and welcoming motorists.

UPDATE: The downtown Elephant Car Wash closed in 2020 and the property was demolished. Thankfully, the famous pink elephant sign was saved, restored, and is now preserved at Seattle's Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI). 07-26