Carhenge: Nebraska’s Circular Standout

Having three sons and being married to a “car” guy, I knew that Carhenge needed to be on our list of destinations when we went up to Northwest Nebraska last fall. What surprised me: this iconic landmark is in the middle of farm fields with the Alliance water tower just a short distance away.

Our next move – walking closer through this modern “sculpture.”

Until you see the cars in person, telling just how many pieces and parts are there would be challenging. Even in person grasping all that went into the creation of these metals towers is impossible.

So why cars in the middle of the field anyway? The Reiners family wanted to honor their late father’s memory, the former farmer who had tilled this very land. Only five years and thirty-eight cars later, their dream of Carhenge was realized. Modeling their sculpture after ancient Stonehenge, the visualization of automobiles will never be the same!

Our family enjoyed wandering about. Seeing the incorporated designs was interesting to me. For my husband, he could determine the actual car make and models. Besides seeing the cars, the kids (and the rest of us) were just glad to take a break from our long car drive.

The day was a hot one. When my sister-in-law broke out her popsicle stash, she observed some happy people. Not happen to bring your own sweet treats? The adjacent gift shop sells them along with more souvenirs that a person could seemingly think up.

This unique collection has gone beyond the original formation. Now this is all considered the “Car Art Preserve.”

And if automobiles are not your thing, you may enjoy seeing the other pieces of fabricated art. No longer family owned, the city of Alliance are the proud operators with volunteers staffing this free family adventure. Definitely a worthwhile detour to enjoy this unique Nebraska attraction.