Created to draw attention and activity to Regent, North Dakota, as well as the surrounding area, the Enchanted Highway features seven incredibly large metal sculptures, with “Geese in Flight” establishing itself as the world’s largest metal sculpture. In doing so, the attraction has been able to draw attention and activity to the area in especially positive ways.
Creating an Attraction for Regent, North Dakota
The city of Regent, North Dakota has always received acclaim for its pheasant hunting, but little else. Additionally, the entire area has been experiencing a decline in population for decades, and that’s part of the reason that local artist Gary Greff conceived of the Enchanted Highway project.
Sculptures along the Enchanted Highway began with “Tin Family”, which was erected in 1991 and built of used farm equipment. “Pheasants on the Prairie,” “Deer Crossing” and “Fisherman’s Dream,” were built in subsequent years, with the humongous “Geese in Flight” going up in 2001. Pieces like “Teddy Rides Again” serve as a tribute to Theodore Roosevelt’s part in North Dakota history while “Grasshoppers in the Field” is a reminder of the hardships farmers in the area have had to overcome while living off the land. Most of the pieces are made of tin, used oil well pipe and oil tanks.
The gift shop in Regent has miniatures of each statue while the Enchanted Castle Hotel and Tavern offers hot meals and a soft bed. Additionally, each sculpture has a developed pull-out and several have picnic shelters. Pieces like “Geese in Flight” also have creative elements that provide audiences with a sense of place and perspective.
In creating a specific attraction for the area, local businesses and organization have been able to benefit from the activity that the the Enchanted Highway has enabled. The Hettinger County Historical Society, Prairie Vista, the Cannonball Saloon and the Regent Co-op Grocery are all directly promoted in Enchanted Highway materials, but the impact of the monuments is about more than these promotions. The activity these buisness and the entire region have seen thanks to the Enchanted Highway showcases what it can mean for an attraction to establish a legacy that impacts the present and future of an entire region.
Establishing a Legacy
Regent, North Dakota, is just like many small towns across the world that are going through a transition in terms of their population and long-term sustainability. A goal of the Enchanted Highway project is to counter the trend toward extinction of small towns such as Regent, but it has been able to do so in an especially unique way.
Like other monuments that have been able to create something out of nothing, the Enchanted Highway showcases how such areas can generate interest from locals and tourists alike. In doing so, the Enchanted Highway highlights how residents, business and entire cities can directly benefit from the creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness of artists and their public art work.
