Each elephant is handcrafted by Indigenous artisans in southern India from an invasive weed, and modeled on a real elephant they live alongside. See the whole herd on foot, then stay for the wineries and restaurants a few steps away.
Photo Credit: Nicole Loeb / Brightside Media @brightsidemediaboston
In the Nilgiri Hills of southern India, people and elephants share space more closely than almost anywhere on earth. The artisans who made these sculptures live alongside the animals they modeled them on, and they know them well enough to capture the tilt of a head or the particular slope of a back.
Each of the thirty is modeled after a real elephant. They are built from lantana camara, an invasive weed that chokes out native plants and drives wildlife from its habitat. Clearing it helps the forest recover. Shaping it into elephants turns a problem into a living.
The herd has been on the road since 2024, with stops in Newport, New York, and Boston. Now their next stop is Livermore, the herd's only stop in California this year.
Downtown Livermore | Oct 10 to Dec 6 | Free, no tickets
Multiple installation areas all within walking distance
Downtown Livermore is about ten minutes off I-580 at First St. or N. Livermore Ave. From the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, buses run to the Livermore Transit Center on Railroad Avenue.
Free public parking is available in the downtown garages and on the street. The Livermore Village garage and the Railroad Avenue lots both put you a few minutes from the herd.
Elephants will be displayed at multiple areas throughout Downtown Livermore. Stay tuned for confirmed locations, coming soon!
The herd sits in the middle of a downtown built for wandering.
First Street runs right through the herd, lined with patios, counters, and full sit-down dinners. Most are a two minute walk from an elephant.
Over forty local wineries and multiple craft breweries are located just a short drive from our elephants.
Downtown has over fifteen murals to view, boutique shopping, the Bankhead Theater, and the world's longest-burning light bulb a few minutes away.
The herd is one reason to come, but it doesn't have to be the whole trip.
Our two day wine country itinerary already runs through downtown Livermore, so the herd fits right in. Tasting rooms, dinner downtown, and thirty elephants along the way.
View the Itinerary
Coming with kids? Thirty elephants is a good start. Keep going with playgrounds, museums, art studios, and the Tri-Valley Ice Cream Trail.
Browse Family-Friendly Activities
Earn a free tote bag for visiting 5 museums, murals, galleries or installations across the Tri-Valley.
Explore the TrailHotel packages and deals are coming soon.
Check back for ways to turn your visit to the herd into a full Tri-Valley weekend.
The Great Elephant Migration is presented in Downtown Livermore by Livermore Valley Arts and Three Thirty-Three Arts. Visit Tri-Valley is a proud supporting partner. For exhibition details, programming, and ways to support, visit livermorearts.org and 333arts.org.
