Return to pasttensega.com every Monday for a new local history story.

One of my favorite subjects as Christmas approaches is the Pink Pig at Rich’s downtown Atlanta.

Those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s recall the Pink Pig downtown. Many recall when the ride was a monorail that rode above the toy department, so that children got a good a look at all the toys available. Some remember an elevator that went upstairs to Santa’s igloo.

When Rich’s downtown closed in 1991, the Pink Pig ride spent a few years at the Egleston (now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) Festival of Trees. Then, a new Pink Pig train began running at Macy’s Lenox with one of the original Pink Pig monorails on display. The final year for the Pink Pig at Lenox was 2019.

This December 1996 Dunwoody Crier article tells of the Pink Pig’s arrival at the Atlanta History Center. The article is courtesy of Dunwoody Preservation Trust, who has a full archive of Dunwoody Criers through 2019 (not yet digitized).

I wrote about the Pink Pig last year for this blog, 2021 Pink Pig article. For a detailed history of the Pink Pig and several photos, check out this Atlanta History Center article. After all, the Atlanta History Center is the home of Percival and Priscilla, the Pink Pigs.