Pink Elephant Car Wash Seattle

April 26, 2002

July 3, 2017

This photo features the famous rotating sign of the Pink Elephant Car Wash, a beloved and iconic Seattle institution for generations. The first Elephant Car Wash was opened by the Anderson brothers in 1951, but it was the giant, cheerful, pink neon elephant sign, designed by Beatrice Haverfield and installed in 1956 at the Denny Way location, that became a true city landmark.

For decades, the whimsical, spinning elephant was a familiar and delightful sight for Seattleites, especially for children who were mesmerized by it from the back seat of the family car. The sign became so cherished that when the Denny Way location closed in 2020, there was a successful public campaign to preserve it. The sign was declared a city landmark and was donated to Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) to be displayed as part of its neon collection.

While the original location is gone, the Pink Elephant Car Wash continues to operate at other locations, and its iconic sign remains a symbol of mid-century charm and a treasured piece of Seattle history. The Denny Way sign stood at 301 Denny Way.