Northeast Minneapolis lizard sculpture smashed in car crash
A beloved northeast Minneapolis sculpture took a hit this weekend when a car drove off the road and crashed into it.
The Minneapolis Police Department said a car crashed into the sculpture just before 3 a.m. on Saturday. There were no injuries. Muddy tire tracks show the car’s path over the grass and into the sculpture.
“Lizard Lounge” dwells on the lawn of East Side Neighborhood Services, which administers social services, childcare and an alternative high school. The lizard sculpture’s larger-than-life head sticks out of a fully operational shed, the back legs and tail out the other side.
The crash ripped the lizard’s head out of the shed, leaving the sculpture split in two.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Sculptor Mary Johnson started building Lizard Lounge in 2008 at Franconia Sculpture Park. It’s built with stucco, inspired by 1950s-era roadside attractions. In 2020, East Side Neighborhood Services bought it and moved it to its property.
“It was beloved by children and the neighborhood alike,” Johnson said.
Neighbors on social media mourned the loss of the local attraction.
East Side Neighborhood Services President Mary Anstett said the organization is looking into repairing the sculpture and working with the driver’s insurance.
“I have already been approached by community neighbors who want to help to assure our lizard is restored,” Anstett said. “Over the weekend many families have stopped by in support and sadness.”
Johnson said the sculpture is valued at $55,000.
