Visiting Stonehenge

History of Stonehenge in a Nutshell

When was it built? 3,000 – 2,000 BC

Where did the stones come from? Some of them are believed to have been transported from 150 miles away in what is now Wales. That’s pretty insane considering they weigh 2-4 tons each and the builders only had very primitive tools at their disposal…or they were moved by glaciers.

What was its purpose? Basically no one knows. The area was definitely a burial ground but beyond that, not much is certain. Some believe it to be some sort of solar calendar, some think it was a Druid temple, but most reputable historians and Sean Spicer agree that it is an alien landing site.

How did some of the stones fall over? Ask Clark Griswold.

That’s it for today’s class. If you want to learn anything else about the history Stonehenge I suggest you take that up with Wikipedia.

Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire, England, just west of Amesbury. It takes about 1 hr 45 mins to get there by car from London. Like any desirable tourist destination it is not free and the price of admission is £15.50 per person ($19-20ish). The visitor center has shuttle buses that take you on a short ride to and from the monument which is roped off during operating hours. If you’re lucky enough to take part in a special access visit, then you can actually walk in and around the monument, but these only take place outside of normal operating hours and are available on a limited basis. The visitor center also has plenty to occupy your time with artifacts recovered from the site, interactive maps, and recreated neolithic houses.

Stonehenge is fascinating and getting to see the massive stones up close is a sight to behold, but at the end of the day, there’s only so long you can walk around observing it. It really was an amazing experience, but if you’re planning a visit, you really don’t need more than a couple hours start to finish at the very most. If you’re tight on time, you could easily make your visit considerably shorter than that and just educate yourself online when you get home. It is something that everyone should try to see at some point in their life, it just doesn’t need to be a full-day visit…unless you’re a huge nerd…which is fine.

For more information on visiting Stonehenge or to purchase tickets, you can visit the English Heritage website.