Carhenge

Hey, I know we’ve been driving for a long time, but how did we end up at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom?

Oh, wait, this isn’t Stonehenge. For one thing it’s about a 100 degrees here, and those look like cars, not stones. What gives?

Carhenge you say, in western Nebraska?  Oh, gotcha….

Carhenge rises above the prairie near the small town of Alliance in western Nebraska. Constructed in 1987 by Jim Reinders and 35 members of his family as a memorial to Jim’s father, it was built with vintage American cars, instead of using large stones like at Stonehenge.

The cars were placed in a circle 95 feet in diameter to assume the same proportions as at Stonehenge with some of the cars buried trunk down and others welded atop upright cars to form arches.

All 38 stones found at Stonehenge are represented by 38 automobiles at Carhenge. The cars were painted gray to match the color of stone.

A visitor center was added in 2006 to serve the many tourists from around the world.

On a recent trip through western Nebraska, we stopped and wandered around the cars marveling that they came up with this idea, and then actually carried it out.

The windows were replaced or covered with sheets of metal and the doors welded shut to prevent any damage to the cars.

No, Harland, you can’t go for a drive.  Geez, I can’t take you anywhere.

There were also other things made of car parts including a giant spawning salmon

and a tyrannosaurus rex.

So if you find yourself in western Nebraska with an hour or so to spare, stop and walk around for a while or sit down and rest in the shade.

At Stonehenge, no visitors are allowed to walk among or touch the stones, but at Carhenge, you can walk around and between the cars and sit down for a spell.

After all, this is the American midwest, and we’re a little more relaxed and easy-going here.

For more information about Carhenge, you may visit their website here.

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Suzanne

Cattle, corn, wheat, beans, mud, snow, ice, and drought. Plenty of fresh air and quiet. Our life is sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyous, but never boring.

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17 Responses

  1. Visitor’s Center? No way. We stopped there in ’99 I think. It had a trash can available. I remember because it had the metal lid to keep out animals and I sat our camera on it to use the timer to take our photo because no one else was there! Thanks for the memories.

    • Suzanne says:

      Yep, visitor center. Small, but air-conditioned with bathrooms. And souvenirs of course for sale. And cold drinks.

  2. Debbie says:

    Interesting, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there!
    It is creative, but I’m with you, wondering why they came up with the idea, and actually carried it out!

  3. Pretty interesting place. Definitely must be a sight to see! I really like the salmon a lot. Wondering what those souvenirs are? Were they mini replicas of carhenge…or t shirts?

  4. Mary says:

    That is exactly the type of cheesy place the kids and I love to stop. And you have to get everyones pics with the landmarks also. Love it. Our friends had their picture with a giant ball of twine. Now some farmer had to create that.

    God Bless.

    • Suzanne says:

      We’ve been to the giant ball of twine in Kansas, and Yes, it was started by a farmer in his barn.
      Take care and God Bless you too Mary.

  5. Mandy says:

    too funny! LOL!

  6. Doe of Mi. says:

    I think its pretty nifty. Somebody had a real imagination.

  7. Alica says:

    Looks like somebody had some fun creating that!

  8. Pam K. says:

    Wow! There was no visitor’s center when I was there, it must have been 2005. It’s interesting and a nice place to stretch your legs on the way north to the Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, etc. I’ve also driven past the world’s largest ball of twine in Cawker City, KS many times, which Mary mentioned. It’s another thing I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to see, but happen to have friends living near there.

    • Suzanne says:

      You missed the visitor center by just one year. It was built in 2006. Been to the largest ball of twine in Cawker City too. It was on a list of things to see that day. It was fun to see.

  9. Elaine Snively says:

    Have you seen Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo TX? Take a can of spray paint and leave your mark. Or
    Slug Bug Ranch in Conway TX. Not as good as Cadillac Ranch, but interesting.

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