Memphis’ legendary Peabody Hotel ducks

In 1933, Frank Schutt, the general manager of the Peabody Hotel, placed live ducks in the hotel’s fountain as a joke — not knowing that he would inadvertently begin a unique tradition that continues to this day.

For the past 90 years, at 11am five ducks (trained by the only “duckmaster” in the world) march to the tune of “King Cotton” from their penthouse on the hotel’s roof down a red carpet to the hotel lobby fountain.

After an afternoon swimming in the fountain, the pomp and circumstance return when the ducks return to their penthouse at 5pm each evening.

– Margaret Willard, The 100 Companies