Spring Break
Four Stars for Webbed Feet
Lizz Glaus
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Entertainment
The Peabody Hotel, on Union Avenue, is one of Memphis's most legendary landmarks. Built in 1869, the hotel is elegant, enormous, and full of Memphis history-but what makes the Peabody different from any other major cities' grand, historic hotels?
New York City may have the Warwick, and Chicago may have Hotel Burnham, but Memphis has ducks.
Since 1933, the fountain in the center of the Peabody's lobby has been the home of five North American Mallard ducks. Every morning at 11:00, the ducks waddle to the elevators from their penthouse on the hotel's roof-the "Royal Duck Palace"-ride down to the main lobby, and stroll down a red carpet to the fountain. At 5:00 in the evening, they go back to the roof and spend their nights there, with a spectacular view of downtown Memphis.
This tradition began when the hotel's manager at the time, Frank Schutt, and one of his friends returned from a drunken hunting adventure and decided to place their live duck decoys in the Peabody fountain as a joke for the guests. The reaction was staggering, which is why there are still ducks in the fountain today.
In 1940, a circus animal trainer named Bellman Edward Pembroke offered to teach the ducks the famous "Peabody Duck March" guests can witness twice daily. The event is narrated by the "Duckmaster"-a title that began with Pembroke himself and has been passed down to the present Duckmaster, Jason Sensat.
According to the Duckmaster, duck has not been served anywhere in the Peabody since its re-opening in 1981-so the hotel's restaurant Chez Philippe may be one of the only French restaurants in the world that does not have duck on the menu.
Also, ducks are apparently not the first animals ever to have inhabited the Peabody fountain. In the 1920s, both baby turtles and baby alligators lived there for a short time.
I encourage you to take any chance you get to stay in the Peabody if you haven't already. It's certainly expensive, but it's well worth your money-my parents refuse visit me if they can't stay there if that tells you anything.
The Duck March, however, is free and open to non-guests, and you can go up to the roof to see the Duck Palace any time you want.
You can find more information about the hotel and fun facts about the ducks at the Peabody's website-www.peabodymemphis.com.
New York City may have the Warwick, and Chicago may have Hotel Burnham, but Memphis has ducks.
Since 1933, the fountain in the center of the Peabody's lobby has been the home of five North American Mallard ducks. Every morning at 11:00, the ducks waddle to the elevators from their penthouse on the hotel's roof-the "Royal Duck Palace"-ride down to the main lobby, and stroll down a red carpet to the fountain. At 5:00 in the evening, they go back to the roof and spend their nights there, with a spectacular view of downtown Memphis.
This tradition began when the hotel's manager at the time, Frank Schutt, and one of his friends returned from a drunken hunting adventure and decided to place their live duck decoys in the Peabody fountain as a joke for the guests. The reaction was staggering, which is why there are still ducks in the fountain today.
In 1940, a circus animal trainer named Bellman Edward Pembroke offered to teach the ducks the famous "Peabody Duck March" guests can witness twice daily. The event is narrated by the "Duckmaster"-a title that began with Pembroke himself and has been passed down to the present Duckmaster, Jason Sensat.
According to the Duckmaster, duck has not been served anywhere in the Peabody since its re-opening in 1981-so the hotel's restaurant Chez Philippe may be one of the only French restaurants in the world that does not have duck on the menu.
Also, ducks are apparently not the first animals ever to have inhabited the Peabody fountain. In the 1920s, both baby turtles and baby alligators lived there for a short time.
I encourage you to take any chance you get to stay in the Peabody if you haven't already. It's certainly expensive, but it's well worth your money-my parents refuse visit me if they can't stay there if that tells you anything.
The Duck March, however, is free and open to non-guests, and you can go up to the roof to see the Duck Palace any time you want.
You can find more information about the hotel and fun facts about the ducks at the Peabody's website-www.peabodymemphis.com.
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