Artist Giving Away Life-Size 'Foamhenge'

He has to move Virginia monument to make way for park
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 3, 2016 12:38 AM CDT
Artist Giving Away Life-Sized 'Foamhenge'
Mark Cline stands before "Foamhenge," his full-size foam and fiberglass re-creation of Stonehenge, located on Route 11 near Natural Bridge, Va.   (Bob Brown)

"Foamhenge," a life-size plastic foam replica of England's famous Stonehenge monument in Natural Bridge, Va., has made appearances in TV shows and attracted curious visitors from around the world. Artist Mark Cline must move the monument before Aug. 1 because it sits on property that will become part of the new Natural Bridge State Park, the AP reports. Foamhenge has served as a local tourist landmark since it was unveiled 12 years ago. Cline built the free attraction to entice travelers off the road and, having initially expected Foamhenge's lure to wane within its debut year, he says he has been pleasantly surprised by its enduring popularity.

"The only reason I hate to move it is because I feel like it does so much good for tourism here," Cline tells the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "It's been on the BBC and the Discovery Channel, been in several books. It was on NCIS last year, and it appeared as an answer on Jeopardy! the year before. It's become quite a foam-nomenon, so to speak." Cline is offering to give the replica to whomever wants it—as long as the owner is ready to pay for shipping and repair costs and willing to withstand a constant flow of visitors. (In 1915, a British man bought the real Stonehenge "on a whim.")

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