Entry No. 28 — the St. Louis file — filed under: roadside-attraction
Pink Elephant Antique Mall
A quirky Route 66 roadside stop housed in a 1920s high school, surrounded by giant fiberglass statues including a pink elephant, a Futuro UFO house, a Harley Davidson man, and a Uniroyal Gal.
The story
In 2005, a shuttered 1920s high school building off Interstate 55 in Livingston was reclaimed and transformed into a 30,000-square-foot antique repository. Rather than a standard strip-mall grid, over 50 individual dealers set up shop in former classrooms, gymnasium corners, and lockers corridors. You won't spot the schoolhouse brickwork first, though—you'll see the lawn full of towering fiberglass oddities catching drivers off the highway along Historic Route 66.
The property operates as a graveyard and sanctuary for mid-century roadside icons. Surrounding the namesake pink elephant is a Uniroyal Gal (a giant fiberglass figure manufactured as the female counterpart to the classic Muffler Man), a massive Harley-Davidson biker statue, and an authentic, saucer-shaped Futuro UFO house. Indoors, the school hallways house everything from vintage gas-station signs and estate jewelry to retro lunchboxes and sweet treats at the Mother Road Fudge and Candy Shop.
What it's like
Pull off I-55 about 40 minutes northeast of St. Louis, and you'll spot giant fiberglass limbs looming over the access road before you even put the car in park. Walk the lawn first to take in the Futuro house and giant statues up close before heading inside the former high school. Navigating the 50-plus vendor booths inside takes anywhere from one hour to three, depending on how deep you like to dig through retro pop-culture displays and vintage glass cases. When your legs get tired, head back into the parking lot for a milkshake at the cone-shaped Twistee Treat Diner.
The move: Hunt for vintage treasures across the 30,000-square-foot mall, then share a classic milkshake inside the kitschy, cone-shaped Twistee Treat Diner on-site.
- 📍 Livingston, IL
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 908 Veterans Memorial Dr, Livingston, IL 62058
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- DeMoulin Museum — Pair giant roadside fiberglass with another oddball Illinois stop 20 miles east: a museum devoted to prank-rigged fraternal lodge initiation gadgets.
- World's Largest Catsup Bottle — Keep your Metro East roadside tour going by driving south down I-55 to see a 170-foot water tower shaped like a bottle of ketchup.
- American Oddities Museum — Trade cheerful roadside Americana for dark history, medical quackery, and haunted relics in nearby Alton.
Good to know
Where is the Pink Elephant Antique Mall located?
It is at 908 Veterans Memorial Dr in Livingston, Illinois, directly off Interstate 55 along Historic Route 66, roughly 40 minutes northeast of downtown St. Louis.
What giant statues are featured outside?
The lawn features a giant pink elephant, a rare fiberglass Uniroyal Gal statue, a large Harley-Davidson biker, and a restored saucer-shaped Futuro UFO pod.
Are there food or drink options on the property?
Yes. You can get ice cream and diner fare at the cone-shaped Twistee Treat Diner on the lot, or purchase sweets inside at the Mother Road Fudge and Candy Shop.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · enjoyillinois.com · voyagestl.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21