Traveling Through Nebraska's Enchanted Highway
The Enchanted Highway, spanning 32 miles of western North Dakota, is a prominent roadside attraction that Nebraska travelers often encounter on their way to or from Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, or other Midwestern destinations. Established by artist and metalworker Gary Greff in 1989, this scenic byway features numerous large metal sculptures, several of which are inspired by local wildlife, folklore, and mythology.
Located between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota, along Highway 21, the Enchanted Highway has developed into an iconic regional attraction that boasts seven gigantic sculptures. Each metallic piece measures between several dozen to a hundred feet in length or width and caters to the fascination of passing tourists and landscape artists alike. The larger-than-life sculptures depict geese in flight, a theodore roosevelt rider, deer, grasshoppers, a family of geese crossing the 'road', a grasshopper, Theodore Roosevelt, on horseback, and Lewis and Clark, thus adding an essence of 'wonders of nature' along the seemingly lengthy, monotonous roads.
Gary Greff, creator of this marvelous marvel, was inspired by the world's largest roadside attractions while pursuing a lifelong interest in making unique highway-side landmarks. He used recycled car parts, for example, Cadillac automobiles, a school bus, tractor parts, as well as natural materials such as wood and tree branches in order to create an 'unimaginable world' seen nowhere else on Earth.
Greff envisioned a striking roadside fascination that combined grandiose contemporary metalwork structures with the seemingly alluring expanse of North Dakota prairies. His unique idea gained considerable local support, winning several rewards that gave him confidence to make other ambitious travel-worthy enterprises near the original steel giant.
The official website of Enchanted Highway Association documents that after the giant scrap metal conglomeration began gaining huge footfalls on the isolated part of North Dakota, nearby business owners went to Greff with their own desires for innovative arts out-of-the-house business invitations that never took long in turning the once deserted highway into blossoming art metropolis.
Gary Greff believes developing these quirky roadside public art monuments came out in form of attracting travelers with several unique tastes into engaging with visual artistic pleasures that made North Dakota highway journeying all more intriguing.
While North Dakota boasts other artistic discoveries notably along road corridors constructed as resting stops for the touring classes. Together, such widespread designs forge regional flavors allowing passengers an immersive real local setting to unravel nature-inspired artistic views that defy unimaginative travel times.
Despite local efforts on sustaining Enchanted Highway road site art and infrastructure, visitors' opinions still convey that some parts have succumbed to natural degrading elements even since 2014.
Located between Gladstone and Regent, North Dakota, along Highway 21, the Enchanted Highway has developed into an iconic regional attraction that boasts seven gigantic sculptures. Each metallic piece measures between several dozen to a hundred feet in length or width and caters to the fascination of passing tourists and landscape artists alike. The larger-than-life sculptures depict geese in flight, a theodore roosevelt rider, deer, grasshoppers, a family of geese crossing the 'road', a grasshopper, Theodore Roosevelt, on horseback, and Lewis and Clark, thus adding an essence of 'wonders of nature' along the seemingly lengthy, monotonous roads.
Gary Greff, creator of this marvelous marvel, was inspired by the world's largest roadside attractions while pursuing a lifelong interest in making unique highway-side landmarks. He used recycled car parts, for example, Cadillac automobiles, a school bus, tractor parts, as well as natural materials such as wood and tree branches in order to create an 'unimaginable world' seen nowhere else on Earth.
Greff envisioned a striking roadside fascination that combined grandiose contemporary metalwork structures with the seemingly alluring expanse of North Dakota prairies. His unique idea gained considerable local support, winning several rewards that gave him confidence to make other ambitious travel-worthy enterprises near the original steel giant.
The official website of Enchanted Highway Association documents that after the giant scrap metal conglomeration began gaining huge footfalls on the isolated part of North Dakota, nearby business owners went to Greff with their own desires for innovative arts out-of-the-house business invitations that never took long in turning the once deserted highway into blossoming art metropolis.
Gary Greff believes developing these quirky roadside public art monuments came out in form of attracting travelers with several unique tastes into engaging with visual artistic pleasures that made North Dakota highway journeying all more intriguing.
While North Dakota boasts other artistic discoveries notably along road corridors constructed as resting stops for the touring classes. Together, such widespread designs forge regional flavors allowing passengers an immersive real local setting to unravel nature-inspired artistic views that defy unimaginative travel times.
Despite local efforts on sustaining Enchanted Highway road site art and infrastructure, visitors' opinions still convey that some parts have succumbed to natural degrading elements even since 2014.
