Whats The Fascination With Stonehenge?

As a related. I thought the baptistery in Pisa was amazing. My sister skipped Pisa because she’d heard it was a giant tourist trap.
 
It doesn't take a civil engineer to be interested in Stonehenge. Here is why it fascinates me! And believe me, I am no civil engineer.

It was constructed 3000 BC to 2000 BC. These stones are about 13 feet high, seven feet wide and weigh around 25 tons. They were not conveniently scattered around the area to pick and choose from; they had to be dragged from a long distance. It didn't take a few good people to put all their weight into to it to stand them on end. They didn't wave a wand, recite Wingardium Leviosa and place rocks on top of the upright ones. They had the heavens figured out to align them to the sun.

And there is also a very good museum to walk through. I did think this would be a one and done for me but if we do get back to England; I would like take the Sunset tour as was mentioned in a previous post.

Remember that the Panama Canal is just a big ditch filled with water. Mount Rushmore is a carving in rocks. Pictographs are really old faded paintings and hieroglyphs, only charterers carved in stone. Some people find these interesting, like me! Some people not so much. And that's okay!
 
Each to their own but I think you would have to pay most of us English a fair amount of money to visit Stonehenge.
 


And when I lived in NYC you would have had to pay me to visit the Statue of Liberty. Doesn't mean it's not worth seeing.

I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma(Boomer Sooner). The most interesting things to see were cows and wheat fields. We had to drive a couple of hours to see something more interesting than the cows and wheat. Lol!
 
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Same reason people go look at Hadrian’s wall, the former site of the Colossus, the ruins of the Colosseum, ancient graveyards, new graveyards, the Blarney Stone, ancient castles, occupied castles, museums of any sort, Disneyland/world in any country, Mecca, the Vatican, the statues on Easter Island, ancient battlefields, roadside historical markers, Yellowstone, Old Faithful, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade, Pearl Harbor, worlds biggest ball of twine, etc: because they want to. Some know the history, some are a mystery, some are just wonders of the world. Everyone has an interest in something different that draws them to a particular thing or place.

For myself, I have no interest in anything found in any European country. Its just a rock in the ocean, followed by more rocks on another coast, then more rocks, with man made stuff, much of which I have here. Oh, and marginal to crappy weather. I’d rather spend my time warm with my feet in the sand. I can’t tell you how many people just don’t understand my lack of enthusiasm for walking around Europe soaking up a bunch of monuments to dead people, or my desire for tropical vacations. But many others do.

Everyone is different. You prefer real dairy cream to the exclusion of all else, I get drunk and enjoy Cool Whip straight from the tub. Some like rocks in a field, some don’t give to shakes about them. Everyone is different.
😂😂😂 , ‘ I have no interest in anything found in any European country.’
For some reason this is making me cry with laughter.
 


So as you all know, Im planning and researching for my first Disney Cruise in September 2020. I'm reading all the trip reports here on Dis and watching lots of YouTube videos of European cruises.

Almost everyone who does pre or post cruise days in England or on the transatlantic routes, all go to Stonehenge. Can someone explain the fascination with it? To me its just stones in a field, I have driven past it and its not something I would go out of my way to see. Yes I know its old, but I have been to other monuments and places which are just as old which are far more interesting to see and have alot more things to interact with.
I really enjoy visiting Stonehenge. In my youth I was lucky enough to attend the summer solstice celebrations there. It is an amazing feat of civil engineering. Also, it is quite close to Longleat and Salisbury. Longleat is one of my favourite places to visit.
Now if any of you don’t want to drive to Stonehenge but are visiting Cardiff, the capital of Wales, then think of visiting here, our own little Stonehenge.... and it is free!
https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/tinkinswood-burial-chamber
 
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oh I get the history part, we actually have a monument in Ireland which is older than Stonehenge and has its own connection to the Winter Solstice and I've been there multiple times. I've also been to multiple castles and historical houses in multiple European countries, I guess that when I went past it , I was just so underwhelmed by Stonehenge, compared to other historical monuments and places I've been to. Thats what I'm getting at, that it is just literally stones in a field, and only some of the tours even go right up to the stones, most people just stand in a roped off area to a bit off from the stones.

Stonehenge is famous - a lot of people do not know that henges are somewhat common and that there are older/larger/more unique ones around. If you're only going to visit one henge in your life, why not make it the most well-known one?
 
I think that the method of driving by points of interest isn’t the best way to judge if something is interesting.


I grew up near San Francisco. Yeah, every time someone came to visit it was "Do we really have to go to Alcatraz/Fisherman's Wharf/Coit Tour/etc/etc/etc, AGAIN?"

:)

That’s how my SoCal friends are with Disney and USH. They don’t want to go there because blah blah. Ah but I want to go there with them!!

And, you know what? I actually learned some things about a place I thought I knew.

I’m from San Jose and have learned so much about it since leaving lol.
 
I went to Stonehenge back in 2010. I had always wanted to visit it. I am glad I did. We enjoyed it very much but I was very surprised that there was a highway running right past it! Every picture I had ever seen of Stonehenge led be to believe that it was in the middle of a field in a remote area. I guess I had visions of us hiking into the area or something! Still enjoyed the visit very much!!

MJ
 
I did an inner circle tour, where I was able to walk around the rocks and explore. It was a cool experience. Much better than being in stressful London. I’d rather be outdoors seeing stuff.
 
I suggest picking up a book on Stonehenge and learn why it is so special. The more that you know, the more you will appreciate your visit to the site. The same applies to almost any historical site.


-Paul
 
I suggest picking up a book on Stonehenge and learn why it is so special. The more that you know, the more you will appreciate your visit to the site. The same applies to almost any historical site.


-Paul

I know why it is so special, there is actually a similar monument, which is older than Stonehenge and has the same connection to the Winter Solstice about 3 hours drive from where I live. This monument is called Newgrange, I suggest picking up a book and learn why it is so special. I am comparing like for like.
 
I know why it is so special, there is actually a similar monument, which is older than Stonehenge and has the same connection to the Winter Solstice about 3 hours drive from where I live. This monument is called Newgrange, I suggest picking up a book and learn why it is so special. I am comparing like for like.
So then you really do understand why people want to see Stonehenge and your initial question was clickbait, trolling, shade at Americans? I'm not certain, but given your "real dairy cream" post, and your argumentative and indignant response above, I'm going with shading Americans on the low. I could of course be wrong. Tone is difficult to convey over the interwebs.
 
So then you really do understand why people want to see Stonehenge and your initial question was clickbait, trolling, shade at Americans? I'm not certain, but given your "real dairy cream" post, and your argumentative and indignant response above, I'm going with shading Americans on the low. I could of course be wrong. Tone is difficult to convey over the interwebs.

wrong on all accounts.

I find Stongehenge, stones in a field beside a highway underwhelming

Im going on a cruise, and researching, I have been travelling to America almost every year since 2001 and as a former chef I am what some would call a foodie. And also part of my research for my cruise involves watching YouTube videos from the cruises which depart Dover.

So again, not shading , not trolling, just fascinated by the differences I experience on my travels. And when I go to America, I have many similar conversations with my American friends about the same subjects.
 
I suggest picking up a book on Stonehenge and learn why it is so special. The more that you know, the more you will appreciate your visit to the site. The same applies to almost any historical site.


-Paul
Picking up a book is a good suggestion. I love looking at paintings but I have never had the opportunity to study fine art, history of art etc., so often when I visit museums and art galleries, I feel completely overwhelmed. As I grow older and maybe a little wiser, I try to read as much as a can about two of three works of art and just focus on those. I find it far more satisfying.
 
I think the difference between Stonehenge and Newgrange is, 1 - accessibility for tourists and 2 - the mystery. From what I've read, it seems there's a whole lot more at Newgrange to understand the site. It is amazing. But the enticing thing about Stonehenge is the mystery of what and why and who. The blocks came from so far away. Why did they build it? Who built it? Was it two groups that built it? What were their beliefs and what happened to them? The 'stones' as you say, get people's imagination going in a way that completed archeological riddles do not.
 
I find Stongehenge, stones in a field beside a highway underwhelming.

<snip>

So again, not shading , not trolling, just fascinated by the differences I experience on my travels. And when I go to America, I have many similar conversations with my American friends about the same subjects.

Yeah, it's too bad they put Stonehenge right next to the highway. 🙄
 

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