Stonehenge Replicas (and Parodies) in the US

Stonehenge Replicas (and Parodies) in the US

While England is home to the one and only mysterious megalith known as Stonehenge, the US is home to several Stonehenge replicas and parodies. These are some of the best from coast to coast.

Slowly emerging from a grassy field approximately 85 miles west of London, massive stone slabs arranged in a semicircle appear seemingly out of nowhere in the English countryside. It’s such an unexpected sight that it’s no wonder Stonehenge has been surrounded by mystery and unanswered questions for centuries:

  • How did the stone slabs get to Salisbury, England?
  • How were the creators of Stonehenge able to place a 25-ton stone horizontally across two vertical slabs without modern construction equipment?
  • Why was Stonehenge constructed?

The mystery that continues to cover Stonehenge like fog on a dreary English morning is part of what draws more than one million visitors a year away from sites like Big Ben, the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace. 

Including my daughter.

While spending part of her summer in England, away from teaching in an English immersion school in Southeast Asia, Juliette recently took a day trip to the fascinating site. As she shared her photos and experience with me by phone, I started thinking about the variations I’d seen (instead of the original) over the years.

Sage Advice:  If you plan on visiting the original mysterious megalith, it costs about $25 to visit Stonehenge in England. Unless you know this secret. Here’s how to see Stonehenge for free (and put that $25 toward another pint at the pub or another newspaper cone of fish and chips.)

While England has one Stonehenge (albeit the original), the United States has more than a dozen replicas and parodies of the neolithic structure. Here are a few of my favorite Stonehenge replicas in the United States.

Have You Been to a Version of Stonehenge?

Share your favorite photo with me by tagging @sagescott.kc on Instagram and using the hashtag #everydaywanderer

    

Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska

Made from cars and trucks, Carhenge is a Stonehenge replica in Nebraska.
Carhenge is an automotive twist on the English classic, Stonehenge.

About 400 miles west of Omaha, the town of Alliance, Nebraska, is itself off the beaten path. And four miles north of the 8,000-person town is a roadside attraction parody of Stonehenge known as Carhenge. While visitors may leave Stonehenge with unresolved questions about why it was built, visitors leave Carhenge with answers.

Related Article:  See the USA by visiting the Cornhusker State with this Nebraska travel bucket list.

Using classic cars and trucks, artist Jim Reinders and a posse of family members built Carhenge in the summer of 1987 as a memorial to Jim’s father. Inspired by Jim’s visit to the real Stonehenge when he lived in England, Reinders placed 39 matte grey vehicles in the same pattern and proportions to create Carhenge. On June 21, 1987, Carhenge was dedicated on the summer solstice, which is totally fitting for a parody of a site with spiritual significance for Pagans and Druids.

Sage Advice:  If you enjoy seeing cars stuck in a field, be sure to check out Cadillac Ranch the next time you’re in Amarillo, Texas.

Visit Carhenge at 2151 County Road 59 in Alliance, Nebraska. There is no admission fee to visit Carhenge, but donations are appreciated. It’s open daily from dawn to dusk.

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Bamahenge in the Gulf Shores Region of Alabama

Bamahenge is a Stonehenge replica at the Barber Marina in Elbeta, Alabama
Bamahenge is a Stonehenge replica in the Gulf Shores region of Alabama.

From ferocious-looking, life-sized dinosaurs to a 108-foot-tall bathing beauty, the Barber Marina in Alabama is full of fiberglass creations by artist Mark Cline. And nestled in an opening in a thick grove of tall long-leaf pine trees is a fiberglass rendition of Stonehenge known as Bamahenge.

Sage Advice:  Here’s a complete guide to all of the quirky outdoor sculptures at the Barber Marina in Elberta, Alabama.

With four different stone shapes, Bamahenge is 21 feet tall and 104 feet across, just like the original in England. And, if that isn’t impressive enough, Cline positioned Bamahenge to align flawlessly with the summer solstice. That means if you stand on the west edge of Bamahenge on the morning of June 21st and look eastward toward the entrance, you’ll see the sun rise through the fiberglass stones. 

To visit Bamahenge, follow directions to the Barber Marina at 26986 Fish Trap Road in Elberta, Alabama. After turning south onto Barber Parkway from Fish Trap Road, watch for Bamahenge about a mile down the road on the right. The site isn’t marked, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for it! There is no fee to visit this Stonehenge replica.

Foamhenge in Centreville, Virginia, Near Washington, DC

Before he created Bamahenge, Mark Cline created Foamhenge in partnership with Natural Bridge, Virginia, as an April Fool’s joke. Using giant pieces of styrofoam, Cline crafted a full-size replica of Stonehenge that he dubbed Foamhenge to encourage tourism to the area. 

After standing tall in Natural Bridge, Virginia, for more than a decade, Foamhenge had to be removed when Natural Bridge became a state park in 2016. The styrofoam Stonehenge replica has been relocated to Cox Farms, a family farm at 15621 Braddock Road in Centreville, Virginia, near Washington, DC.

Now that Foamhenge is located on private property, it takes a little more planning to visit this Stonehenge replica. Foamhenge is closed to visitors from January through March and is open for very limited hours in the spring and summer. During the fall, Foamhenge can be seen as part of regular admission to the Cox Farms Fall Festival and Fields for Fear events. 

Stonehenge II in Ingram, Texas

Stonehenge II in Texas Hill Country also has two Easter Island moai statues standing nearby. Image by GeorgeB2 from Pixabay.

About 75 miles northwest of San Antonio, just south of I-10, nestled into a grassy field in Texas Hill Country, is another Stonehenge replica known simply as Stonehenge II. Inspired by a slab of rock left over from a construction project that was standing upright in his backyard, Al Shepperd constructed the “stones” for Stonehenge II with his neighbor and good friend, Doug Hill, in the late 1980s by covering a metal-mesh-wrapped steel frame with plaster and graphite.

Although Stonehenge II sounds more legitimate than Carhenge, Bamahenge, or Foamhenge, this Stonehenge replica is far from a true replica. While the width of the circle is close to the original Stonehenge (about 90% as wide), the “rocks” used to create Stonehenge II are much shorter (nearly half as tall) as the original. 

Originally constructed on land Shepperd owned in Hunt, Texas, Stonehenge II was relocated to Ingram in 2011 after Shepperd sold the Hunt land. Not originally intended to consider the sun’s daily path across the sky, at its new location in Ingram, Stonehenge II is now coincidentally positioned directly in the path of the solar eclipse that will occur on April 8, 2024.  

Fun Fact:  When visiting Stonehenge II, don’t miss the two 13-foot Easter Island moai statues standing nearby, constructed of the same material.

Visit Stonehenge II at 120 Point Theatre Rd S in Ingram. The attraction is open daily from dawn until dusk and only requires admission during certain fairs and festivals like the Texas Arts and Crafts Fair and the Celtic Festival.

Stonehenge Memorial in Maryhill, Washington

The Stonehenge replica in Maryhill, Washington, is World War I memorial. Image by Don White from Pixabay.

Like Bamahenge, the Stonehenge Memorial in Maryhill was commissioned by a wealthy entrepreneur. And like Carhenge, as the name suggests, this Stonehenge replica is a type of memorial. But it is still unique in many ways.

Financed by Sam Hill, the Stonehenge Memorial was dedicated on July 4, 1918, as construction began. When completed in 1929, the Maryhill Stonehenge was the first memorial in the US that honored the heroes of World War I.

Although the Stonehenge Memorial is part of the Maryhill Museum of Art, the Stonehenge replica is located five miles northeast of the museum on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River that serves as the stateline between Washington and Oregon.

Sage Advice:  Throughout the year, a ceremony is held to honor the men from Klickitat County who perished in World War I. Dates and other details are available on the Maryhill Museum website.

Visit the Stonehenge Memorial south of the Klickitat County Veterans’ Memorial on Stonehenge Drive in Goldendale, Washington. Both memorials are open daily from 7:00 am to dusk, and admission is free.

Have You Visited Either the Real Stonehenge or a Stonehenge Replica?

Which Stonehenge did you visit? What was it like? Is there another Stonehenge replica in the US that you’d add to this list? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

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6 thoughts on “Stonehenge Replicas (and Parodies) in the US”

  1. The Georgia Guidestones is another strange Stonehenge. Very controversial site in Elberton. Some people believe the 1st instruction is about genocide and is linked to the “vaccines” somehow. Weird Stuff.

  2. This was a great article to read, Images are just beautiful. London is my dream I have never got any chance to this beautiful place but will surely make it one day. Thanks for the share. Cheers!!!

  3. Love this post! I am a ‘weird stuff’ tragic and these tick all the boxes. I have been to the Maryhill Stonehenge but didn’t know about any of the others until today. I have the real Stonehenge recently and a brilliant replica in Esperence, Western Australia. The Esperence Stonehenge is truly impressive. It is a full scale replica built from solid granite.

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