By:  Linda Blachly

In 1967, Ed Gotwalt received an elephant from his sister-in-law as a wedding gift. Why an elephant? For good luck, of course.  On his honeymoon to Williamsburg, Va., he found another one. “Honey, I’m going to start collecting elephants,” he told his wife on the way back home.

Since then, his pachyderm passion has taken him all over the world in search of unusual additions to his collection. In 1983, his elephant collection outgrew his home and he opened up Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum.

That elephant did bring him good luck, because 42 years later his elephant collection – 10,000 pachyderms in all – is his livelihood along Route 30, just about 12 miles outside of Gettysburg, in Orrtanna, Pa.  The displays are in two long, narrow rooms, along with news clips and posters, and admission is free. Nothing is labeled, but Ed is ready to tell the story behind any particular treasure.

Ironically, he was once a peanut dealer. So, in addition to his elephant displays, Ed sells peanuts and boasts that he has the largest selection of candy in the area. You will find a lot of nostalgia in his collection, things adults will remember from their childhood, like a roomful of Pez candy. Oh, and if you think that room is part of the store, look down – you are actually standing on the bed of a truck. Ed says he needed to expand, so he backed up an old worn-out truck into a hole in the building, and built walls around it and, violá, instant addition! He even put a stuffed elephant in the cab, which you can see from the outside of the building.

His unusual livelihood has attracted the attention of movie producers who included him in a move called “Route 30,” a backwoods comedy about the friends you meet along the way.

Mr. Ed’s is a whimsical place that is a must-see when you are in the area. You can’t miss it. Just look for the life-size talking elephant out near the road. Miss Ellie is a 9.5 ft. tall white elephant with animated eyes and ears. Her voice is triggered by a hidden electric eye. Ed keeps it in good repair for the kids, and Miss Ellie blathers on about the area, tells a few jokes, and then gets sleepy.

“People need a warm fuzzy,” said Mr. Ed, “with no hassle and no push to buy anything. Just come in and look around and keep a happy thought.”

For information, visit www.mistereds.com. Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum is located at 6019 Chambersburg Road, Orrtanna, Pa.