America's Stonehenge
America's Stonehenge things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIDescription
cultural
outdoor
family friendly
America's Stonehenge is a privately owned tourist attraction and archaeological site consisting of a number of large rocks and stone structures scattered around roughly 30 acres within the town of Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States.
attractions: , restaurants:
Ratings
Description
America's Stonehenge is a privately owned tourist attraction and archaeological site consisting of a number of large rocks and stone structures scattered around roughly 30 acres within the town of Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States.
Posts
What an interesting place! Mythical, informational, unique, and rocky. When doing some research online, found this place and decided to venture here as a family. I mean, how many people know there's even an American Stonehedge? I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I arriving, but came with an open mind. There was ample parking at the center, as when we went on a hot morning there were only probably five other families. You walk up to a visitor center, which has a good size gift shop attached. There is a cost to get in to the facility/trails/viewing area, I believe it was $14 for adults and $8 for kids. The employees were very welcoming. In The Visitor Center there is a short movie/film that visitors can view explaining American's Stonehedge. It'd be a good idea to watch prior to going out on the trails and exploring. The visitor center does also have restrooms, and a smaller information center, all adding to the experience. When leaving The Visitor Center you're out on the trails, the first thing you encounter is a gemstone dig area for kids which is very nice if you have children. They let you keep three gemstones from your dig. Then you continued traveling up the trail and there is either a map you can use to guide you or they have a free online app you can download where it will read the information on the trail. There's about 25-30 different information areas, that you can read about/learn about. We decided to use the map but the people behind us use the app and it sounded very well done. Exploring and reading map about the site can take about an hour; more if you take pictures and venture off to additional information on the trail. Lots of neat things to see and invision about the past. Although many of the structures are just partially there due to time and decay, the map does a good job of giving information. At the end of the trail of there's a surprising Alpaca Farm, with really friendly alpacas that just add to the whole experience! They really like getting their picture taken. They were so sweet. With not having a ton of information prior to coming, this was a really fun experience! Even the kids who sometimes complain about hiking in the heat enjoyed it. Glad we went.
J. GartyJ. Garty
90
America's Stonehenge was a fun little place! The gift shop had some really cool historical items from the site, along with plenty of the merchandise you'd expect. You are able to rent snow shoes there as well. The price to walk the trails is $14/person. There are so many opportunities to interact with this historic site. Right outside of the gift shop, there's a neat area where children under 12 are able to be little archeologists! We walked the nature trail and the astrological path. It was almost like a scavenger hunt, finding all of the markers on the paths. There's an ap that walks you through the entire site and gives you information on each marker. My only complaint (and it's not a huge one) was that I had a baby stroller and the trails are not even a little bit friendly for strollers/wheelchairs. I have a pretty rugged stroller, and we go for hikes often. At one point, there's a sign pointing you around to a wheelchair and stroller path, but once you get to the end of it, you've missed that whole section. Kind of a bummer, but we still had the opportunity to see some really cool things! Overall, it was a fun way to spend a nice day outside with the family.
Bethany PowersBethany Powers
00
To start, I have been studying pseudoarchaeology and archaeology for the last 4+ years. This place had me ranting the whole time, which had my husband laughing the entire time. This is not a knock on native Americans, but the way this place is presented does them wrong. There were some cool prehistorical artifacts from nearby areas, but a lot of it is speculation from the owners. The person who calls himself the president of America's Stonehenge is not at all an archaeologist but a retired commercial airline pilot (it says so in his bio on their website). The site made no sense to me in their explanation and speculations, from their drainpipes to their "oracle speaking tube" to the "sacrificial table" - which looks too much like an apple press. For some reason, their "alignment" stones are no longer aligned with the sun and their explanation is "because the tilt of the earth has changed in the last 4000 years" but how is it that the Welsh Stonehenge is older and is still aligned? So many more questions were at the end then what I had at the beginning (knowing I was walking in knowing this place was pseudoarchaeology anyways, but not all of it). I added some pics... explain to me how ogham, Iberian, etc were all found in the same place that apparently irish monks created a priory at and so many more other cultures apparently converged (before Europeans even arrive). I gave them 2 stars because at least I was in nature and there were some things that were factually correct
Shawna BozarthShawna Bozarth
50
I spent my formative years in Salem, NH and NEVER visited America's Stonehenge, which was literally about 10 minutes from the house I grew up. I don't know what I was thinking! I finally visited with my wife on our last visit home and had a great time! Keep your expectations in line. This isn't Disneyland. But the oddity factor is what makes it awesome! I very much enjoyed the visitor's center and the video that was clearly made in the late 80s or early 90s. I LOVED that!! Watch the film! There are alpacas to look at here too. Get a map and follow it to see the different destinations. The more you read, the cooler you'll think it is. Let's face it... it just looks like piles of rocks for the most part... but once you read what they are and where they came from... it's REALLY cool. It gets cooler and cooler the more you go in. We did it in the snow, so we may have missed some things too. There is even a SACRIFICIAL TABLE!!! If that doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will. Check it out! We really enjoyed going in the winter. Check your local library for FREE TICKETS!!!
Michael TeoliMichael Teoli
10
We went when it was covered in snow because it was a "spur of the moment" trip that landed us there. I can't really say it was as nice as it would have been during the summer because it's hard to tell where all the rocks are and there were puddles everywhere so we couldn't really venture too far. But, it was something cool to see and explore. There's a storefront with many nice things for purchase like candles, maple syrup, jewelry, incense, etc and they also have really cute Alpacas on site (they were hiding inside their home when we went but I don't blame them because it was COLD!). They also sell coffee, snacks, and rent snow shoes if you need them. (We didn't use them, but we also regretted that decision because the trails were hard to walk through with just simple boots). There's a video that explains the history of the site and it was actually really educational so I recommend sitting down for the 10 minutes just to learn more about it. The site owner/manager was very friendly and inviting, too.
Kay ReneeKay Renee
10
For starters, this place is amazing! There is a lot of history to see! As for the attraction itself, it is impressive to see how the people lived in that era. The trails to the sites were okay, but I suggest one wear a good pair of hiking boots or a good pair of tennis shoes with some good traction because I slipped on mud and fell. That said, I highly recommend visiting when the weather isn’t so frigid! The cost to tour the site was $14.00 per adult. The price is less expensive for children, and a military discount is available. There is also a lovely gift shop with various items to purchase and a small museum connected to the gift shop. A tour map and audio information are available to download on a cell phone. The parking is free, but it is a dirt parking lot, so if it rains, there will be large puddles. Overall the site is worth seeing! You will be amazed.
Sabino -Sal- ChavezSabino -Sal- Chavez
100
Reviews
Overview
4.4
(538 reviews)
Phone
(603) 893-8300
Call
Website
stonehengeusa.com
Visit
Deep Dive
A deep dive into America's Stonehenge
