Rhode Island City Will Be Invaded by 100 Elephants This Summer

A herd of elephants is on the way and will be spotted all over Newport this July and August.

One-hundred life-size elephants are coming to Rhode Island this summer for the U.S. debut of The Great Elephant Migration, a massive art exhibition and global fundraising project created by United Kingdom-based nonprofit Elephant Family.

The herd is huge. Each of the 100 elephants has a name and you can walk among them.

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Where To See The Great Elephant Migration in Newport

According to the Newport City Council agenda from April 10, the 100 life-size elephants will be on display in several spots throughout Newport from June 29 through September 6, 2024.

For the June 29 debut, all 104 hand-made elephants will be marched across the lawn at Rough Point Museum on Bellevue Avenue. It should be a stunning sight along the waterfront.

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From there, 56 of the elephants will be moved to the campus of Salve Regina University for display on the lawn behind McAuley Hall and another 26 will head to the lawn of The Breakers.

How Long Will The Elephants Be in Newport?

This amazing exhibit, curated by Dodie Kazanjian and put on in partnership with Art & Newport, will spend their summer in Newport, Rhode Island. All 104 life-size elephants will then continue their great migration across America with stops in New York City in September and October, Miami Beach in December, Yellowstone National Park next May and June, and wrapping up in Los Angeles during the summer of 2025.

What Does The Great Elephant Migration Raise Funds For?

This stunning art exhibit is not just beautiful, it is beneficial. It shines a light on the need for coexistence between the people of India and the elephants around them. Each hand-crafted elephant was made by the Coexistence Collective, a community of indigenous Indian artisans spanning four tribes: Bettakurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan, and Soliga.

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They are also all crafted using dried Lantana Camara, an invasive weed that threatens protected areas in India.

Locally, the elephants will help raise funds for Save the Bay in Rhode Island. The elephants will be displayed during the annual Save the Bay Swim and the organization will have its own dedicated elephant sculpture.

Ten versions of that sculpture will be sold for $10,000 a piece and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Save the Bay as well.

Need More To Do in Newport? These 30 Ideas Will Keep You Busy All Year Round

Newport has always been seen as a summer destination. Wealthy New Yorkers used to escape the city in the hotter months for this picturesque seaside spot and the label as a summer vacation destination began.

There are, however, plenty of things to do in this historic town in any season and we've found a few that you may want to try the next time you head to Newport.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Newport Mansions Seen in HBO's 'The Gilded Age'

"The Gilded Age" film crews have returned to Newport, Rhode Island, for several weeks of filming for the upcoming second season of HBO's hit show. Casting calls from March gave away the International Tennis Hall of Fame as a site for several scenes and, of course, several of the historic city's epic mansions are being used as well. Here are all the places filming is expected to take place around town this May.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall