Carhenge: Nebraska’s Automotive Stonehenge
There are countless replicas and reimaginings of England’s mysterious Stonehenge—a prehistoric stone monument which historians believe was built to observe the summer solstice. One of the quirkiest and most imaginative Stonehenge recreations is Nebraska’s Carhenge, which was created by farmer Jim Reinders in the late 1980s.
After spending time in England, Jim Reinders discovered that several types of vintage cars from the 1950s and 60s were approximately the same size as the stones of Stonehenge. This discovery inspired Jim Reinders to build a car-centric Stonehenge out of cars that were salvaged from nearby junkyards and farms. Reinders named his project Carhenge and dedicated his modern take on Stonehenge to his deceased father, who had a special love for vintage cars.
Photo by CheriAlguire/depositphotos.com
In the early days of Carhenge, the residents of Alliance, Nebraska were not terribly happy about Reinders’ “junkyard sculpture.” A few years after Carhenge was constructed, Reinders spray-painted his sculpture grey so that it would bear a stronger resemblance to the original Stonehenge. Once Carhenge had a more finished appearance, the people of Alliance warmed to the sculpture—especially after they realized that it attracted tourists to the area.
Carhenge attracted special attention in 2017, when it was in the path of totality of a solar eclipse. Thousands of people gathered at Carhenge to observe the rare celestial event, including the sitting governor of Nebraska.
Photo by depositphotos.com
Carhenge features a visitor center and an additional field of car sculptures known as the Car Art Reserve. Highlights include a dinosaur, sunflower, and fish fashioned out of discarded car parts. Much like the original Stonehenge, one of the most popular times to visit Carhenge is on the summer solstice. If you find yourself driving around the state of Nebraska in late June, a trip to Carhenge to commemorate the longest day of the year is certainly worthwhile.
Photo by depositphotos.com
Location:
2141 County Road 59
Alliance, Nebraska, 69301
United States
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Carhenge, 2151 County Road 59, Alliance, Nebraska, USA
- Coordinates
- 42.14228, -102.85796
- Access
- Open to the public year-round during daylight hours. The visitor centre and gift shop are seasonal; confirm their hours before visiting.
- Admission
- Free; donations welcome.
- Time needed
- A Nebraska tourism planner suggests about 30 minutes for the monument. Allow longer if you also browse the surrounding car-art sculptures or stay for changing light; the visit is self-paced.
- Best season
- Open year-round in daylight. The operator does not identify a preferred season; choose a date that suits the weather and the light you want.
- Opening hours
- The outdoor monument is open daily, 365 days a year, from dawn to dusk. The operator lists the Pit Stop gift shop as seasonal, May–September, 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. daily beginning May 23; that schedule is for the shop, not the outdoor site.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-27
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-27
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