Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests came to Crane Beach in August, 2015, but the bigger news was the largest invasion of people the town of Ipswich has experienced in recent memory. Even though it was cool and cloudy, Deb and I anticipated a traffic backup on Argilla Road, so we took our bicycles.
Finally, the Strandbeests were able to move a short distance up and down the beach. The photo above is as close as we got, and for the most part, we couldn’t see anything. The video below was posted by Emily Rose Parent on the I Love Ipswich Facebook group.
What we saw:
Back in town, we realized that all those people who couldn’t get to Crane Beach were now in downtown Ipswich looking for something to do. Hundreds had taken the train, but the buses to the beach were stuck in traffic. Ipswich at noon looked perilously like a tourist town. We stopped at Zumi’s, and were able to quickly order a couple of espressos before riding home. By 2 pm, Ipswich appeared to be back to “normal.”
Story of the Strandbeests:
What we anticipated:
Categories: Places
Historic Ipswich 
Made me sick to my stomach as a life long resident and daily beach goer who also cleans the beach. This had better not be repeated again. Shame on TTOR for thinking with their bank books.
Yes the wait was long in traffic but when was I ever going to see something so amazing on a beach near me ever again. It was a lovely soft overcast day to enjoy the attraction and the festive atmosphere. Tip saw lots of smiles.
very poorly planned. good example of overly hyped.
It was amazing and fun concept, but so poorly organized – my heart went out to all of the walkers, long-distance travelers, and disappointed attendees. Literally tens of thousands of people came to see the two (small) StrandBeests that were walking from the waterline half way to the dunes and then being dragged back again. Understandably, the wind direction impacted where the “Beests” could walk, but a more valuable and interesting approach would have been a stroll along the waterline so more people would have had a clear view. A single lane road, incredible publicity, and no planning for the crowds. My daughter spent 2.5 hours in her car after the event, in the parking lot from 11:30 to 2:00 w/o moving at all, since there was no place to go! We were fortunate to have parked near the Castle, so getting out wasn’t so bad, though still slow. Parking along Route 133 all the way to Choate Street on two sides going to Essex.
Gordon, we drove up from Boston with a couple friends. We were able to find parking at the beach but weren’t able to see much. The beests were a lot smaller than the one in the marketing photo. Maybe if the organizers had roped an area off visibility might have better. After about 20 minutes we walked down the trail to the Crane estate and explored the buildings and grounds, which of course are spectacular.
Lived here 70 years never experienced anything comparable to today both in a good way and a bad way.