Bamahenge facts for kids
Bamahenge is a cool, full-size copy of Stonehenge in England. It's made from fiberglass and sits on the land of Barber Marina near Josephine, Alabama. An artist named Mark Cline designed and built it. He made it for the marina owner, George W. Barber.
How Bamahenge Started
The idea for a Stonehenge copy in Alabama came from a very rich businessman named George W. Barber. He owned a dairy company. In 1991, Mr. Barber asked a Virginia artist, Mark Cline, to create seven life-size dinosaur statues. These were like "lawn ornaments" for one of his properties.
In 2006, Mr. Cline was fixing some hurricane damage to the dinosaurs. At that time, Mr. Barber knew that Cline had recently built a Stonehenge copy called Foamhenge in Virginia. So, Mr. Barber asked him to build another full-size Stonehenge replica. This one was planned for his Vintage Motorsports Museum near Birmingham, Alabama.
Mr. Cline started working on the project in 2012. By then, Mr. Barber had moved four of the dinosaur statues to his Barber Marina. So, he decided to put the new Stonehenge copy there instead. It was placed in the woods north of the dinosaurs.
For a short time, they thought about calling it Fiberhenge. But Mr. Cline felt that name "didn't sound right." So, he decided to name the artwork Bamahenge.
What Bamahenge Looks Like
Bamahenge is a full-size copy of Stonehenge. It stands about 21 feet (6.4 m) tall and is 104 feet (32 m) wide. Just like the real Stonehenge, Bamahenge is built so that the sun rises over its center during the summer solstice. This is the longest day of the year.
However, Bamahenge is not an exact copy. It is made from only four different shapes of fiberglass "stones." These stones are placed in different ways to look like the original. The pieces were designed to fit inside each other for travel. This made it easier to move them from Mr. Cline's studio in Virginia to the Alabama coast. It took four large trucks to carry all the pieces.
Bamahenge is only about four miles (6.4 km) from the Gulf of Mexico. This area can get strong winds from tropical storms and hurricanes. To keep Bamahenge safe, each "stone" is held down very well. A wooden pole goes 8 feet (2.4 m) up into each "stone" and also the same distance into the ground. The bottom part of the "stone" and a pit around the pole are filled with concrete. This makes them very strong.
How to Visit Bamahenge
Bamahenge is located about 200 yards (180 m) west of the road that leads to Barber Marina. There is a small parking area where you can leave your car. From there, a path leads to the monument.
Bamahenge is closest to a small, unofficial town called Josephine, Alabama. But people often connect it more with the larger nearby town of Elberta, Alabama.
See also
In Spanish: Bamahenge para niños
