'The Greeter'

This sculpture memorializes Eiler Larsen, better known as “the greeter,” a man who welcomed all to the neighborhood with a wave. Larsen settled in Laguna Beach in 1942 after spending time in Europe, South America, and other parts of the United States.

For decades, he welcomed locals and visitors alike to Laguna Beach. You could almost always find him standing on Pacific Coast Highway, waving and shouting hello. Ten years after Larsen passed away, a local cafe put up a statue of him carved from a redwood log. It’s one of two statues of him in Laguna. You can also find his footprints at the corner of the Pacific Coast Highway and El Paseo Drive.