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"Annie" the Merritt Island Dragon was a 65-foot-long, 35-foot-high concrete-and-steel dragon sculpture built in 1971 by Florida artist Lewis VanDercar and property owner Aynn Christal at 'Dragon Point' where the Indian and Banana Rivers meet, inspired by an American Indian legend that a dragon rising from the mist there was a sign of good fortune. Built from 20 tons of concrete and steel carried in by wheelbarrow (the only access was a wooden boardwalk), Annie had a hollow, hieroglyph-painted belly with tables, chairs, electrical power and internal stairs, and served as a landmark for local boaters for decades. In August 2002 she was badly damaged and partially collapsed into the lagoon during a storm, with vandalism (sledgehammers, spray paint) contributing further to her destruction.
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This Big Thing is recorded for its history. It is no longer at this location, so it is not a stop to plan a trip around.
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Dragon (gone)
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Approximate location · 28.373° N, 80.676° W
FIELD GUIDE
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WHAT TO EXPECT
No longer exists as a visitable structure; recorded here as a historical entry for accuracy, not as a current destination.
ACCESS
Not applicable -- the sculpture was destroyed in 2002.
COMMUNITY
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TRANSPARENCY
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