What would you do if we told you there's a magical stretch of road in North Dakota that, on its own, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to North Dakota every year? It's not particularly scenic, or historically significant. It isn't breathtakingly beautiful, or ridiculously photogenic. Instead, it's unique in another way: the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is a 32-mile stretch of road that's been made fascinating and culturally significant with each installation of hand-created sheet metal art, of which there are now seven. Take the drive of a lifetime and visit each sculpture to get a good look at modern art in North Dakota.
Beginning at Exit 72 on the I-94 and ending 32 miles away in Regent, the Enchanted Highway is home to some of the world's largest scrap metal sculptures.
They have been expertly crafted and are meant to evoke a sense of wonder in the viewer, and each one does so quite nicely.
The first sculpture you'll encounter is also the only one that's really visible from the highway at this point.
It's called "Geese In Flight," and it depicts a group of geese, well, in flight. Against a backdrop of the endless North Dakota sky, this one certainly asks us to come closer and really admire its beauty and craftsmanship.
Should you choose to stop at each installation, this drive could easily take an entire day, so it's perfect for a day trip in North Dakota whenever the mood strikes!
The Enchanted Highway got its start when Regent resident Gary Greff was growing concerned that his little town was quickly becoming a ghost town. In 1989, a road from Regent to I-94 was paved; soon, Gary was inspired by another artist to begin work on his own sculptures, which he hoped would draw visitors from the interstate south to Regent.
...and, well, it worked.
And it worked well. Greff built the first of the installations in 1989; over time, he added several more. Nowadays, there are seven.
Though Gary plans for a total of ten finished sculptures, right now, the slightly over half-dozen masterfully crafted road art pieces attract visitors in throngs.
There's something really wonderful about the natural backdrop at each one; the deep blue skies, endless prairies, and rolling plains lend a more-than-perfect kind of homey-but-odd vibe to each piece.
The sculptures are surreal, and one can only imagine what it might be like to stumble upon some of them if one didn't know what they were (or why they were there).
There's not a whole lot of places in this country where one can drive down a remote stretch of highway and see things like enormous metal fish looming in the distance, beckoning you to come closer.
Of course, once you end up in Regent, you ought to stay for a bit and check out the local shops and eateries.
For ideas about what to do while in Regent, you might want to check out this older article. Make a day trip out of it! Do you have a favorite offbeat attraction in North Dakota? Tell us about it by filling out this form; we love hearing from you!
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