Uncover the (actually not very mysterious) origins of Massachusetts' toy horse graveyard, Ponyhenge
The Lincoln attraction is also the world's slowest merry-go-round
Britain has Stonehenge, a ring of large stones that inspire wonder over the culture and ingenuity of the ancient world. 21st century America has Ponyhenge, a ring of plastic mall ponies and rocking horses that inspire wonder over why, exactly, these objects have been placed in a ritualistic circle in the farming town of Lincoln, Massachusetts.
Though gazing upon the mysteries of Ponyhenge may lead visitors toward imagining the enigmatic spirituality of some unknown rural horse cult, Atlas Obscura has published an article that gets to the actually very mundane, swishy-tailed bottom of the story. Ponyhenge was created by local couple Jimmy Pingeon and Elizabeth Graver, who started the whole thing by putting the very first pony out in 2010 because one of their kids wasn’t using it “and they thought other kids might like to ride it, too.” After that, neighbors began adding their own plastic, metal, and wooden horses and ponies to a growing collection, and the curious attraction was formed.