RyanHenge

Somewhere in Nevada  Highs in the 90s

 

After leaving the Egyptian Room, my next stop was the attraction I missed when I was headed north.

RyanHenge is a solar calendar and sundial built by Ryan Williams, the CEO of the Western Elite Landfill. That's right, this American Stonehenge is located inside the Landfill.

 

Ryan became fascinated by the stars so he began to chart their movement with stakes in the ground. He mapped their movements on the 21st of each month, marking the season solstices and equinoxes. His birthday just happens to be December 21.

The structure is made of concrete and reinforced with steel designed to withstand the elements for over 1,000 years.  It took 10 years to complete and was completed in 2017. In the center is a world map painted on the ground and in the center, a flagpole. At noon, light flashes through a hole in the flagpole, converting it to a sundial. At night, standing on Antarctica transforms the flagpole into a marker for the North Star.

For RyanHenge to work on a monthly schedule, it needed 57 upright megalith columns made of different widths depending on how fast the sun was moving between every month. 

There are many mysteries about RyanHenge. What is the significance of the Greek, Latin, and English phrases written on the map? Does the center pole mark Atlantis? Why isn't RyanHenge marked on the map? Why does a green space alien stand atop the northernmost lintel?  Only Ryan knows and he's not talking.

 

Also on the property is a very large sundial and a labyrinth, some old Pullman railroad cars salvaged from a Las Vegas Casino and a small group of animals including a camel and a zebra.

 

 

RyanHenge is located on private property, but respectful people are welcome to visit it for free. They have had some really obnoxious people who have actually climbed in with the animals, entered the area where people who work there have their homes, and have done damage that has to be repaired. Take Highway 93 north of Las Vegas on I-15 to exit 64. Drive north on US-93 for 43 miles. Turn left into Western Elite Landfill and check in at the booth.