Laguna Beach Greeter Statue at Pottery Shack

Laguna Beach Greeter statues commemorating Eiler Larsen are located at:

Greeters Corner Restaurant & Pottery Shack 329 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, California (photo above)

1212 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, California

Laguna Beach, Calif.--The Greeter was a Laguna Beach resident, Eiler Larsen, who passed away in 1979, but not without leaving heart-warming memories to locals and tourists who found a friendly face and someone who always asked how you are.

There is a statue in Laguna Beach honoring the city's official greeter at the old Pottery Shack location near the corner of Brooks and Pacific Coast Highway.

During his lifetime, Eiler Larsen was known to stand at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Forest Avenue, waving to the cars passing by, or greeting youngsters and adults as they passed along the sidewalks of Laguna Beach. 'Hello there,' he used to say. He was a thin Dane with a tall stature, long hair that matched his lengthy beard, dressed in a plaid shirt and blue coveralls.

As he aged, he began looking weathered and less animated. Those who remember his deeds recall that he liked to be outdoors at the beach, and would do gardening for some residents of Laguna. The city council proclaimed Larsen the Official Laguna Beach Greeter and with that act, he's remembered for decades to come.

There aren't many left who remember the Greeter on a personal basis. We've seen fine art portraits of him hanging in elegant ocean-view homes, and downtown Laguna Beach honors his memory with several life-size or larger than life statures.