Carhenge: Built with Blood, Sweat and Beers
Carhenge, located near the city of Alliance, Nebraska, is an inventive replica of Stonhenge in England, but made with cars.
The sculpture was created by James Reinders (1927-2021), who graduated from high school in Alliance, served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific, attended the University of Nebraska with an engineering major and went on to work in the oil industry for over three decades. He had become familiar with Stonehenge while living in London for seven years.
According to Carhenge website, it “was built as a memorial to Reinders’ father who once lived on the farm where Carhenge now stands. While relatives were gathered following the death of Reinders’ father in 1982, the discussion turned to a memorial and the idea of a Stonehenge replica was developed. The family agreed to gather in five years and build it. The clan, about 35 strong, gathered in June of 1987 and went to work. The dedication was held on the Summer Solstice in 1987 with champagne, poetry, songs, and a play written by the family.”
Reinders purchased most of the cars in Alliance. Models include a 1943 Plymouth Savoy, 1945 Jeep Willys, 1956 Buick Roadmaster Deluxe, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado, 1965 Ford Thunderbird, 1971 Chevrolet Nova, a 1976 American Motors Gremlin and many others. To avoid ground contamination Reinders drained all the oil and gasoline from all the vehicles before construction. Several foreign cars were originally included in the installation, but were later taken away and ritually buried.
The spacing and height of the 39 vehicles is nearly identical to Stonehenge. The circle measures approximately 96 feet in diameter. Some of the cars are held upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down. The cars used to form the arches have been welded into place. All the cars are covered with battleship gray paint. The heel stone is depicted by a 1962 Cadillac.
Construction on the project began on June 13, 1987 and took about a week. Once complete the family held a christening ceremony which included one last meal together and they sang a tribute to the building of Carhenge written by Veronica Cook to the tune of “On Top of Old Smokey.” A bottle of champagne was smashed against the ambulance in the center of the circle of cars. Family members joked that the christening of Carhenge included a sacrifice, i.e. “we all sacrificed our vacations to get this thing built.” The family would also joke that Carhenge was built with “blood, sweat and beers.”
There was a sign created for the roadway made of hubcaps, license plates, car ornaments and chrome bumpers. Access was originally restricted to the roadside, and visitors would not be able to come on the property for a closer look. Reinders commented in local newspapers that it was not his intent to create a tourist attraction.
Although Carhenge is widely beloved now, this was not the case in the early days after it was first constructed. Some local neighbors complained that it was eyesore. The city of Alliance charged Reinders with zoning violations, claiming that the site of Carhenge was within city limits and that it violated the required agricultural use of the land. The state of Nebraska then claimed that the creation was in violation of the state’s junkyard laws, which required the cars be located in a zoned industrial area and that the cars be screened from the view of the traveling public. In time, public sentiment grew in favor of letting Carhenge remain, and these issues were resolved. Carhenge would go on to become a popular tourist attraction drawing thousands of visitors to the region every year.
The creation of Carhenge and the ensuing controversy made national news. Newspapers, magazines and television shows all covered the story. Reporters and photographers were sent to northwest Nebraska to see the site for themselves. James Reinders was profiled numerous times, with one of the most frequent questions being “why?”
On August 21, 2017, 30 years after its creation, Carhenge hosted over 4,000 people, including Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and creator James Reinders, for the total solar eclipse that was crossing the country. Carhenge was located within the path of totality, which lasted for 2 minutes and 28 seconds. In all, it took 21 minutes for the total solar eclipse to move through the state. Nebraska will not see another total solar eclipse until the year 2106. Reinders has stated that he was not aware of the total solar eclipse when Carhenge was first constructed.
Another car art installation on the Carhenge property is titled “The Fourd Seasons,” which was inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The installation is meant to suggest Nebraska’s seasonal changes when wheat is planted, grows, matures and the field lies barren during a windy winter. It is constructed out of four Ford cars.
Other sculptures on the property include Dino the Dinosaur, constructed by Merle Stone of Hemingford, Nebraska, and the Spawning Salmon, created by Geoff Sandhurts of Canada.
Although never completed, Jim Reinders had other ideas for additional car art installations. They included plans for Caramid, a scale model of the Great Pyramid at Gaza, done in cars, and a 100-foot segment of the Great Wall of China, made of cars.
Reinders donated Carhenge and the 10 acres of grounds to the Friends of Carhenge, a local group of dedicated people who preserved and maintained it until October of 2013 when it was then gifted to the City of Alliance.
Today, Carhenge continues to attract thousands of visitors each year. It has appeared in several Hollywood movies and is one of the most photographed sites in the state of Nebraska. Admission to the grounds is free. A visitor center called “The Pit Stop” was constructed on the property in 2007. Carhenge is open year-round from dawn to dusk. Visit their website at www.carhenge.com for more information.
