Nebraska’s Car Stonehenge is a Must-See Roadside Attraction
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NEBRASKA’s Car stonehenge
There is nothing like hitting the road and stopping to stretch your legs and grab snacks and drinks. As an RVer, the road is more about the journey and not always the destination. So, if you find yourself driving through Nebraska, make a stop near Alliance and check out Carhenge. It's the Midwest's replica of England's Stonehenge.
Alliance is in the western part of the state in the high plains. At an elevation of around 4,000 feet and a modest population of about 8,500, you would think there would not be much to see in this part of the country. However, Carhenge is a popular attraction.
Instead of standing stones, Carhenge is formed from 39 vintage automobiles covered with gray spray paint and arranged in a circular pattern. The cars were rescued from nearby farms and dumps. The structure is about 96 feet in diameter, and some areas are as tall as 17 feet. Some cars are held upright in pits with the trunk end down, and arches were formed by welding the automobiles on top of the supporting models. The "heel stone" is a 1962 Cadillac. Also, three cars were buried there with a sign that says, "Here lie three bones of foreign cars. They served our purpose while Detroit slept. Now Detroit is awake, and America's great!"
The heel stone at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, is a single large block of sarsen stone outside the monument's entrance. All 39 of the major stones found at Stonehenge are represented at Carhenge.
Carhenge replicates Stonehenge's current state, rather than what the structure initially looked like, and includes other artwork created from autos covered with various colors of spray paint. Jim Reinders, the Carhenge creator, also built "Three Bells" to represent the three Reinders siblings and "Fourd Seasons," which he uses to represent Nebraska's changing landscape across four seasons.
Of course, with every odd roadside attraction, there is a strange story to go with it. The artwork, built by Reinders, was dedicated in June 1987. A visitor center was constructed in 2006, and an adjacent "Car Art Reserve," a car-art sculpture park, was added where local visionaries contribute works such as "The Car-nestoga Wagon," which features a station wagon made to resemble a Conestoga wagon.
The story goes that Reinders built Carhenge to memorialize his father, who once farmed on the site where the attraction now stands. While living in England, the young Reinders studied the structure of Stonehenge to help him copy the structure's shape, proportions, and size.
The structure nearly didn't survive. The residents of Alliance wanted to tear it down, and the Nebraska Department of Highways tried to label it a junkyard and build a fence around it.
During its construction, the sheriff's department was called to investigate the property where "someone was planting cars in a field." Soon the city council became involved and decided Reinder's car art must be removed. One of the council members pushed to preserve Carhenge and arranged a public meeting onsite. The public response was overwhelmingly in favor of preservation, and by 1989, the group Friends of Carhenge was formed.
You can now see signs on the outskirts of Alliance, proclaiming it the "Home of Carhenge." Postcards are available in town with pictures of the site.
Carhenge has appeared in film, music, TV, and commercials. It was the subject of a 2005 documentary, Carhenge: Genius or Junk? It is also featured in the 2007 travel book, "1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die."
The August 21, 2017, solar eclipse put Carhenge on the map. Nearly 4,000 people, including Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, viewed the eclipse from the site.
A similar structure, Autohenge, was built near Port Perry, Ontario, around the same time. That structure rusted and was demolished in 2001.
Carhenge is free (donation requested) and open year-round. The Pit Stop gift shop is open during the summer.
If you stroll a couple of miles towards the north of Carhenge, you come across the Nebraska rest area, a collection of hay bales, an open-air toilet, and a recliner. Considered a resting place for travelers, it also offers free wi-fi.
Carhenge is a great roadside attraction but far from the nearest interstate. You will need some time to see all it and the town of Alliance have to offer.
More roadside attractions
We've stumbled upon some seriously quirky roadside attractions during our travels. Trust us, these are definitely worth a stop, even if it's just for a quick pic. Check out the map, for info on these must-see gems!
But wait, there's more! We want to hear from you too. Have you come across a roadside attraction that's so wacky, it deserves a spot at the top of our list? Share your craziest discoveries with us, and we'll make sure to add them to our ever-growing collection of must-sees.
Nebraska can't-miss roadside attractions
World's Largest Ball of Stamps
The Leon Mayers Stamp Center in Boys Town is home to the world's largest ball made of stamps. The Boys Town Stamp Collecting Club commenced the assembly of canceled stamps in 1953 around a golf ball.
Its diameter measured 32 inches by the end of 1955, when it was declared the largest ball of stamps, and it has remained so even after 60 years. It weighs around 600 pounds and encompasses 4,655,000 stamps. It was also featured in a column of "Ripley's Believe It or Not."
The World's Largest Porch Swing
You can swing by this one on your way to Carhenge. It is in Hebron, Nebraska, in Roosevelt Park. The swing can accommodate about 18 adults or 24 children and is 32 feet long. The structure is suspended from a pole and is made of metal and wood.
The Archway
Running across I-80, the Archway was built in 2000 as a tribute to the Great Platte River Road running along the Platte River in Nebraska.
Conceptualized by a Walt Disney team, the idea of the Archway was conceived by Frank Morrison, the three-time governor of Nebraska. Visitors are treated to a multimedia experience depicting stories from Nebraska's early exploration.
You can shop at the Archway's souvenir shop, walk on the hiking trail, picnic on the grounds, and visit the Nebraska Visitor's Center at the end of the path.
World's Largest Time Capsule
Located in Seward, in the southeastern part of Nebraska, the World's Largest Time Capsule was built by Harold Davisson to show his grandchildren what life was like in the 1970s. It weighs 45 tons and measures 20 x 8 x 6 feet.
The time capsule contains over 5,000 items, including a Kawasaki bike, bikini bottoms, soda bottles, tapes, records, fireworks, bowling pins, and a scholarship fund. It also contains a 1975 Chevrolet Vega.
Sealed on July 4, 1975, it will be opened on July 4, 2025, exactly 50 years to the day, during an Independence Day celebration.
Stile Di Famiglia
The Stile Di Famiglia (meaning family style) is a giant 13-foot-tall fork with spaghetti in Omaha. The fork represents the rich local Italian culture, where foods in restaurants are served on a big platter for the family to eat together.
Artist Jake Balcom designed the fork, which is made of stainless steel. The Town of Little Italy built it to represent their culture and heritage.
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About the Author: Terri Nighswonger and her husband, Todd, are well-traveled RVers and work campers. They've work camped from Maine to Arizona with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Newton, and their Minnie Australian Shepherd, Remi.
They love Arizona, where winter coats are a thing of the past. They plan to enjoy the west for a while. Writing is Terri's passion, but she also loves hiking, kayaking, walking her dogs, and anything she can do outdoors.