Information on Traverse City, Michigan and the surrounding Northwest Michigan area

The Swan

Between the Elk River and US-31, at the entrance to town, sits The Swan. Commissioned in 1966, the swan was designed by local dentist Dr. John Tschudy, and assembled by him, Joseph F. Yuchasz (father of the current village president), and numerous Elk Rapids Rotarians, to carry Miss Elk Rapids in the Cherry Festival and Harbor Days parades.

In the early 1970s, after several summer seasons of parades and public appearances, the swan found its permanent home in Rotary Park. At 15 feet tall, and weighing in at several hundred pounds, the Swan has become a staple of Elk Rapids life and lore. Stop on your way into town and get your picture taken with this magnificent white bird.