During a work assignment in England, Nebraskan Jim Reinders had visited Stonehenge, one of the most familiar and mysterious prehistoric monuments in the world. Reinders’ visit inspired him to build a similar tribute to his late father who had farmed a site near Alliance, Nebraska. However, instead of building the monument of stone, he constructed it of 38 antique cars, naming it Carhenge.
The cars approximate the Stonehenge monoliths in size and direction from the sunrise, and consist of such American classics as a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado and a ’65 Ford T- Bird, as well as lesser-celebrated autos like the humble ’76 American Motors Gremlin. Soon after Reinders built the Stonehenge replica, he donated it to the nonprofit group Friends of Carhenge, who no longer have the cash (admission to the monument is free) or sweat equity to keep the car park alive.
Carhenge is located 185 miles south of Sturgis, and bikers traveling to the rally make up part of the 80,000 tourists who visit this unique attraction every year. The sale price is $300,000 and includes the monument, 10 acres of farmland, and a gift shop and visitor center. The Friends of Carhenge believe that with some infusion of capital, the site could become an even bigger tourist attraction, with plenty of room for a restaurant, campground and other recreational attractions.
It’s the second most-visited tourist site in Nebraska, and travel advice website Tripadvisor has named it the second wackiest attraction in the U.S., coming in behind only to the Toilet Seat Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas.
