Famous Fictional Figure: Horton the Elephant - Springfield, MA

Horton the Elephant

Springfield, MA

N 42° 06.239 W 072° 35.173

Short Description: 

Horton the Elephant is the main character in Horton Hatches an Egg and Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss. The sculpture is located at he newly opened (June 3, 2017) Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum at the Quadrangle, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, MA.

Long Description:

An 8' tall gray and black sculpture of Horton the Elephant is the largest of the sculptures of Dr. Seuss fictional characters featured in the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum. Horton the Elephant first appears in the book Horton Hatches the Egg in 1940 and again in the 1954 book Horton Hears a Who! Horton is depicted hunched on his back legs and carrying a flower in his trunk. Another Seuss character, a monkey who is one of the Wickersham brothers is performing a handstand on Horton the Elephant's head.

Horton is a kind elephant who cares about others. In Horton Hatches and Egg he becomes the foster parent to an elephant-bird by taking on the nesting duties of Mayzie, a lazy and irresponsible bird. He famously says "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred per cent!" In Horton Hears a Who! he is called upon the protect the tiny citizens of Whoville. He proclaims "a person’s a person, no matter how small."