When driving through Nebraska on Highway 87 the hours can pass by slowly as corn and hay dominate the landscape. However, just outside of Alliance, Nebraska Carhenge juts out of the flat dry plains and is a welcome surprise. This installation sits somewhere between fine art and a roadside attraction and calls for road trippers to get out of our cars, stretch our legs and explore this replica of England’s Stonehenge made from vintage cars.
Carhenge is similar to but not quite as well-known as the pop culture destination Cadillac Ranch, just outside Amarillo Texas. Built more than ten years after Cadillac Ranch it was probably inspired by the installation, but the official story has no references. Both pieces make the most out of junk cars to create a land art monuments that visitors flock to.
The official story is that creator Jim Reinders built Carhenge (with the help of friends and family) as a memorial to his father who owned the land. Reinders lived in England and studied the structure of Stonehenge, including the shape, proportions and size and mimicked it here with 50’s and 60’s automobiles. All the major stones at Stonehenge are represented in a circle. They are painted in gray to characterize the original stones. At different times of the day and throughout the year the light, shadows, rain, heat and snow create diverse experiences.
Also on the site is the Car Art Reserve, a home for other artist’s work and seating made from cars and car parts. “Spawning Salmon” is a sculpture by Geoff Sandhurst of Calgary. David Kowalski’s “Car-nestoga” station wagon resembles a Conestoga wagon a tribute to the pioneers crossing the Oregon trail. Reinder's other creations include “fourd Seasons” each one representing a season and “Three Bells” representing him and his siblings.
Today, Carhenge has become more popular as a destination and is part of selfie culture. Commonly in the summer or winter solstice people will drive for miles to photograph themselves with the installation and share them on-line. Much like Cadillac Ranch there is a car that visitor can personalize and decorate with spraypaint. You can bring your own or if you are lucky you can pick up a leftover can from the ground.
Carhenge is open year-round from dawn until dusk. It is very hot in summer and cold in winter. At the small visitors center you can see just how many different license plates are available in Nebraska. It is open in summer.
