The Greeter

The Greeter statue stands at the corner of PCH and Broadway in the center of town, commemorating Eiler Larsen, a self-appointed village greeter who stood at this corner for decades waving at passersby. The bronze figure shows Larsen as he appeared in later life — long beard, raised arm, enormous personality — and is one of the better bits of public statuary in Orange County.

It is small and easy to miss among the gallery storefronts on PCH, but worth pausing at. Laguna Beach has always attracted people who live by their own definitions rather than conventional ones, and Larsen is the most affectionate example of that tradition.

things to do sight
A story
Eiler Larsen was a Danish immigrant who came to Laguna Beach in the 1940s and took it upon himself to stand on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Broadway every day, waving, shouting greetings, and talking to everyone who passed. He did this voluntarily for nearly 40 years until his death in 1975. The town declared him Official Greeter, which was not a formal position but meant a great deal to Larsen. His statue captures him mid-wave, beard and all.