Spring Equinox
Friday, March 20, 2026
The Equinox is celebrated twice during the year, once in the spring as we transition out of winter, and once in autumn as we say goodbye to summer. The Equinoxes are an important astronomical event at America's Stonehenge, marked not only by sunrise and sunset alignments but by illuminations and symbolic architecture as well.
Equinox Sunrise
On the Equinox, the sun rises directly over the eastern horizon. A standing stone once marked the sunrise alignment at America's Stonehenge, but significant erosion on the eastern side of the hill caused the stone to fall ages ago, long before the site was ever discovered. During the spring equinox, sunrise brings forth a cacophony of birds and other forest sounds, signaling the end of winter and the beginning of the warmer seasons.
The Watch House Chamber Illumination
About one hour after sunrise on the Equinox, a remarkable event takes place in the Watch House Chamber - a quartzite stone built into the rear of the chamber is illuminated by the early morning sunlight. As sunlight passes through the entrance of the chamber, the shadow created by the doorway frames this special stone, casting the rest of the chamber into darkness and highlighting the quartzite block.
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This event is made all the more symbolic by the realization that the Watch House Chamber is located at the head and tail of a 2,550 serpent wall - a snake-effigy made entirely of stone. This serpent wall begins at the boulder that forms one wall of the Watch House chamber, encircles the entire hilltop, and returns to the Watch House Chamber to form an Ouroboros, an ancient symbol of a serpent or dragon biting its tail. This symbol can represent the concept of infinity or the circle of life, and the serpent's connection with the Equinox has been found at ancient sites around the world. Some have theorized that the illuminated quartzite stone within the Watch House Chamber represents the serpent's egg, ready to produce new life in the spring season.
Equinox Sunset
After the sun passes over the top of the site, it will set directly over the western horizon. The Equinox Sunset alignment is notably different from the other astronomical markers at America's Stonehenge. Rather than a quarried standing stone placed to mark the alignment, the Equinox sunset is marked by a massive glacial boulder. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) scans of the area around the boulder suggest that it might be placed atop small stone legs to form a dolmen. The sun moves quickly across the horizon during this phase of the year, meaning this alignment can only be truly observed on the precise day of the Equinox.
Serpent Symbology
A little-known feature sits just beyond the Equinox Sunset Boulder on the western side of the hill. The S-Shaped Serpent is a stone feature built on the Equinox sunset alignment. This stone wall, which appears to be slithering across the hill, is split in half by the Equinox sunset. Like the Watch House Chamber, this feature links the symbol of the serpent to the Equinox.
America's Stonehenge will be open from sunrise to sunset on Friday, March 20th, 2026 to observe the Spring Equinox alignments. The site will remain open throughout the day for self-guided tours of the ancient structures. Admission is valid all day, and guests are welcome to leave the museum and return to watch the sunset.
More information and tickets are available at the link below.