Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Grasshopper Chapel and grounds.
How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief
2 days ago
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo in Everglades National Park.
America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds
2 days ago
Echo Park Time Travel Mart.
Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful
3 days ago
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Texas Galveston Pink Dolphin Monument
AO Edited

Pink Dolphin Monument

This little dolphin is the first monument dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community in the southern United States.

Galveston, Texas

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The monument, pictured by the artist himself.   Joe Joe Orangias
The monument, pictured by the artist himself.   Joe Joe Orangias
Burial 32 of 243, one of the sandstone pieces.   metro4thec
The plaque.   metro4thec
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the promenade in R.A. Apffel Park/East Beach on Galveston Island, Texas stands the Pink Dolphin Monument—a statue dedicated to gender and sexual minorities in the southern United States. It's the first monument of its kind, not only in Texas but also in the south. A poem quietly celebrates diversity along the base of the monument. 

It takes the form of an Amazon river dolphin, an animal that is not native to the area but can be seen in the logo of the local LGBTQ+ activist organization Pink Posse, as well as in the name of Galveston's beloved Pink Dolphin Tavern. Conceived and sculpted by artist Joe Joe Orangias in collaboration with writer Dr. Sarah Sloane and Dr. Frank Pega, the monument was inaugurated in 2014.

Nicknamed "Sandy" by park staff, the monument is supported by a five-foot plinth designed to create an impression of the dolphin jumping overhead above the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It was carved from a red sandstone boulder sourced from the Texas coast, resulting in a total of 243 chips. Each chip was also carved into tiny monuments by Orangias and buried at numerous sites around the island, literally inserting the history and hardships of gender and sexual minorities into the landscape.

Related Tags

Monuments History & Culture Sculptures

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

October 18, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://pinkdolphinmonument.com/statue
  • https://www.galvnews.com/news/local_news/article_37f3e548-139e-11e4-9e45-0017a43b2370.html
  • http://glasstire.com/2014/07/18/meet-sandy-galvestons-newest-pink-resident/
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20160531123015/http://camh.org/exhibitions/island-time-galveston-artist-residency-%E2%80%93-first-four-years#.V02D3NP7Q6V
Pink Dolphin Monument
1923 Boddeker Rd
Galveston, Texas, 77550
United States
29.329154, -94.734811
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

S. S. Selma

Galveston, Texas

miles away

Bishop's Palace

Galveston, Texas

miles away

The Elissa

Galveston, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Galveston

Galveston

Texas

Places 10

Nearby Places

S. S. Selma

Galveston, Texas

miles away

Bishop's Palace

Galveston, Texas

miles away

The Elissa

Galveston, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Galveston

Galveston

Texas

Places 10

Related Places

  • Lenin Monument

    Chisinau, Moldova

    Lenin Monument

    A statue dedicated to the founders of communism.

  • Monumento a la Sabina de El Hierro

    El Hierro, Spain

    Monumento a la Sabina de El Hierro

    Windswept juniper trees resemble surrealistic artwork, however, this juniper is actually a work of art.

  • “Spirit of Community” monolithic sculpture.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Newcraighall Monuments

    Mining, a local filmmaker, and a philanthropist doctor all commemorated within a small space in suburban Edinburgh

  • Giant Toonie

    Campbellford, Ontario

    Giant Toonie

    This giant Canadian coin is a monument to the artist who created its iconic emblem.

  • Chocolate Orange

    York, England

    Terry's Chocolate Orange Sculpture

    A unique tribute to the chocolatey past that helped shape one British city.

  • Lincoln overlooking the town of Wabash, IN

    Wabash, Indiana

    The Lincoln Monument

    Abraham Lincoln never visited Wabash, but his statue found a home there.

  • Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Roman Relief on Rue du Saint-Esprit

    An ancient Roman relief beautifully preserved on the façade of a house.

  • The Countess Pillar.

    Brougham, England

    Countess Pillar

    A memorial overlooking a busy roadway is linked with the story of a 17th-century noblewoman’s legal battle for her inheritance.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.