Alliance, NE: Carhenge

Was it a boy scout troop looking to earn badges? Was it aliens from outerspace tired of making crop circles?  Was it a group of pagan farmers praying for rain?

No, it was artist Jim Reinders.

Reinders wanted to memorialize his father who had died in 1982.  By 1987, he had gathered together 35 of his family members and erected the memorial on the land that his father once lived on.  Carhenge was dedicated in June of 1987, and is a replica of the actual Stonehenge in England.

As construction was underway, officials with the nearby City of Alliance alerted Box Butte County Sheriff of the unusual activity in an attempt to halt the project.  After completion, the City continued efforts to remove the sculpture, even though it was located outside of city limits.  Supporters of Carhenge organized to work with city officials in an effort to end opposition.

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Jim Reinders eventually sold the 10 acres of land that Carhenge sits on to its supporters, who reorganized as "Friends of Carhenge".  Today, they continue to own and operate Carhenge, and have added a gift shop, cafe and parking lot.

Carhenge
2141 County Rd 59
Alliance, NE 69301
Open 24/7, free admission
http://www.carhenge.com/

Carhenge began construction in 1987 and was finished the same year

Off to the far left you can see more car art structures

Carhenge is pretty much the only reason why anyone bothers to visit nearby Alliance, NE

This tailgate serves as the back of a bench at Carhenge

Signs like this mark the entrance of Carhenge

"Spawning Salmon" by Geoff Sandhurst, who won first place for a car art contest by Friends of Carhenge

The skeletal remains of a car art dinosaur against the empty, arid wastelands of Nebraska

Sash at Carhenge

Can you identify these cars?

Do we look like bikers?

Sunflowers and Tumbleweeds grow rampant around here.