America's Stonehenge

Privately Owned Site Of Stone Chambers, Walls And Standing Stones In The Woods Of Salem, Promoted By Its Owners As An Ancient Astronomical Complex; Mainstream Archaeologists Generally Attribute The Structures To Colonial Era And Later Farmers And Nineteenth Century Activity, And The Site'S Ancient Origin Claims Are Disputed. · Salem, New Hampshire

A privately owned site in the woods of Salem, a few minutes from Interstate 93, where a low hilltop is covered with stone chambers, walls, slabs and upright stones spread along a trail through the forest. Long called Mystery Hill, it is promoted by its owners as an ancient astronomical complex, with stones they say line up with sunrise and sunset at the solstices and equinoxes and chambers they present as thousands of years old. Mainstream archaeologists generally disagree: they attribute most of the structures to colonial-era and later farmers, including a nineteenth-century farm family on the hill, and to quarrying and rebuilding in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the ancient-origin claims are widely disputed (confirm details). Visitors pay admission, get a map and walk a self-guided trail with numbered stops (confirm), then can see a small alpaca herd kept on the grounds (confirm). The site holds solstice and equinox gatherings and may open snowshoe trails in winter (confirm). Treat it as a curiosity and a pleasant woodland walk, with a skeptical eye.

105 Haverhill Road, Salem, New Hampshire, 03079, United States

The site is generally open most of the year, often daily in the warmer months with daytime hours and last admission well before closing, and on a reduced schedule or weekends only in the cold months (confirm). It closes on major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and may close in bad weather, heavy snow or ice (confirm). Snowshoe trails, when offered, depend on snow cover (confirm). Solstice and equinox gatherings are held at special times, sometimes at sunrise or sunset outside normal hours, and may need advance tickets (confirm dates). The visitor center and gift shop keep the same hours as the trail. Confirm before driving any distance.

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