If you’re looking for something quirky and unique, take the time to get off of I-94 to look at the sculptures on the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota, which ends at the Enchanted Castle in Regent.

Travelers should plan to take the scenic route and check out these massive sculptures for a unique chance to see the “world’s largest” scrap metal sculptures.

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is 32 miles off I-94, so it’s 64 miles round trip and worth it. Also, this is totally free!

What is the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota?

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is a stretch of road from I-94 with the world’s largest Scrap Metal Sculptures. Currently, there are seven giant metal sculptures, with more to come. 

Make The Time to Take The Exit!

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is the perfect opportunity to get off the Interstate and take in something quirky. If you’ve gone to  Theodore Roosevelt National Park or further west to Yellowstone, you’ve likely noticed the looming Geese In Flight Sculpture along I-94. This is the only sculpture of the series that can be seen from the interstate. 

A Fun Detour

What’s great about this little detour to see the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is that you can get out at each sculpture and take pictures. It’s great to get out and stretch your legs a bit!

Each sculpture is like visiting a county park, with a large parking lot and picnic tables. Visitors can walk around the sculptures, and the parking lots and sculptures are wheelchair accessible. There is also a picnic shelter if you want to enjoy a road trip snack or picnic lunch.

Where is Regent, ND

Most people have never heard of Regent, ND, a small, rural town of 165 residents just  30 miles off I-94. 

That was precisely the problem for former school principal Gary Greff, creator of the Enchanted Highway and a native of Regent. He wanted to see his childhood stomping grounds stay alive.

If You Build It….

Greff’s mentality was that if he could bring his idea to life, he would draw visitors through the beautiful rolling hills of North Dakota, ending with a drive through his hometown of Regent and a stop at the Enchanted Castle. He calls the Enchanted Highway his passion project. 

He began his first sculpture in 1989. Completing one sculpture takes roughly 4-5 years. The biggest challenge was getting enough scrap metal to build each sculpture.

In the first year, local ranchers taught Greff how to weld, and he treated the passion project like a job, working 8 hours a day welding the sculptures.

How The Sculptures are Made

North Dakota is the third largest oil producer in the US. Old oil well tanks were used for the metal. Greff wanted to inspire people by showing how a guy with no art background or welding knowledge could create something of this magnitude. He hopes that this project inspires people that you can do anything you set your mind to.

How to Get to the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota can be accessed at Exit 72 on I-94 in North Dakota. It is 87 miles west of Bismark and 20 miles east of Dickinson. 

This 32-mile stretch of rolling North Dakota hills will take you through the countryside. During our visit in June, the canola fields were as bright as highlighters and could be seen for miles. 

From I-94 Exit 72

Mile 0 – Geese in Flight

Mile 3 – Deer Crossing

Mile 15 – Grasshoppers in the Field

Mile 19 – Fisherman’s Dream

Mile 24 – Pheasants on the Prairie

Mile 26 – Theodore Roosevelt Rides Again

Mile 30 – World’s Largest Tin Family

Mile 32 – Enchanted Castle Gift Shop (Regent)

Mile 32.5 – Enchanted Castle Hotel, Knight and Dragon Sculpture in progress

Geese In Flight

Currently holds the Guinness World Record (2002) for the largest scrap metal sculpture. You’ll see Geese in Flight from I-94. We had to include our vehicle in the photo for scale.

Location: Mile 0 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 2001

Weight: over 78.8 tons

Size: 154’ long x 110’ tall

Materials: oil tanks, oil well pipe

Deer Crossing

Location: Mile 3 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 2002

Size: Buck: 60’ wide  x 75’ tall Doe: 50 ‘ wide by 50’ tall

Materials: oil well tanks

Grasshoppers

Location: Mile 15 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 1999

Size: Big Grasshopper: 60 feet wide x 40 feet tall |  Medium Grasshopper 24 feet wide by 12 feet tall

Materials: oil well tanks and fuel tanks

Fisherman’s Dream

Location: Mile 19 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 2002

Size: 70 feet tall 

Materials: oil well tanks 

Pheasants on the Prairie

Location: Mile 24 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 1996-1997

Size & Weight: 

Rooster: 70 feet wide x 40 feet tall- weighing 13,000 pounds

Hen 70 feet wide x 40 feet, weighing 12,000 pounds

Chick: 20 feet wide by 15 feet tall, weighing 5,000 pounds

Materials: pipe and wire mesh

Teddy Roosevelt Rides Again

Location: Mile 26 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 1993

Size: 51 feet tall

Materials: well pipe

Tin Family

Location: Mile 30 (from I-94 Exit 72)

Completed: 1991

Size: Dad- 45 feet tall, Mom- 44 feet tall, Kid- 23 feet tall

Materials: farm tanks, telephone poles, bar wire, augers

Gift Shop in Regent, ND

The Enchanted Highway Gift Shop was closed the day we visited, and it looks like a great stop. The Sculpture to the left of the gift shop has moving parts.

Enchanted Castle Hotel

Location: Mile 32.5 (from I-94 Exit 72)

This hotel is next to the former Regent High School, purchased by Gary Greff. The hotel has a moat at the entrance. We could walk into the hotel and look around, and we noticed a medieval-themed bar. We could not look in the rooms but imagined them to be themed. 

Up Next- a Fire-Breathing Dragon

The next sculpture is Sir Albert, the Goliath-sized knight, which is the current project and is looking for a home on the Enchanted Highway.

Size: Knight- 41 feet tall, Dragon 42 feet tall by 100 feet wide

Donations are Key to the Enchanted Highway

Donations are welcome and vital to keeping the Enchanted Highway going. They are needed to repair existing sculptures and help cover the costs of creating new sculptures. 

Is the Enchanted Highway Worth It?

It is totally worth taking Exit 72 from I-94 to drive on the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota. It’s unique, and it’s always worth getting off the interstate to explore the countryside.

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