Are you interested in lost worlds, ancient civilizations, or mysterious local history? Do you enjoy
exploring, discovering, and appreciating the world around you? Do you want a personalized, hands-on
learning experience for you and a private group of your choice? Then a VIP Tour of America’s Stonehenge
is for you!
The VIP experience gives you exclusive access to America’s Stonehenge, guided by experts of local
history who have been there and done that. This 2.5 hour guided tour will not only cover the highlights,
like the Oracle Chamber, astronomical alignments, and the artifact room, it will provide the most
comprehensive understanding of this historic hilltop only matched by working on the site for half a
decade. On this journey through the past, you will be able to see the lesser-known features of the site
and explore structures not ordinarily open to the public, or hear stories from the lives of local
heroes and legends of the Merrimack Valley.
To book your tour, please email our guide, James Lacefield, at
info@StonehengeUSA.com
with the subject line “VIP Tour” to request more information about our VIP experiences.
Tour Details
Tickets are $150 per person, and group size is limited to 15 people.
Guests will each receive a complimentary wrist band, map, and water for the tour.
Tours last approximately 2.5 hours.
Tours are available during our standard operating hours (9:00-5:00 in the summer, 9:00-4:00 in the
winter), and must begin at least 3 hours prior to closing.
While all content discussed on the tour is family-friendly, the duration of the tour and breadth
of material covered may not be suitable for young children.
The trail to the main site is steadily sloping with uneven terrain. Supportive footwear and clothing suitable
for moderate hiking in the given season are encouraged when attending the tour.
Tour Topics
Feel free to mix and match topics for a truly personalized experience!
Although this tour will feature the site, we like to say the VIP experience is all about you! You pick
the topic, you ask the questions, and you discover the answers! You can choose from a variety of topics
which we will cover on the tour, from ancient civilizations, to local lore, to the modern technology we
use to research the site (a full list of topics can be found below). You also aren’t signing up for a
lecture. Rather, you are encouraged to have a dialogue with your personal guide, asking as many
questions about the site as you wish. On the tour, you won’t just be given an answer to a question
either; you will be invited to explore the ruins, chambers, monoliths, or features that will reveal the
truth of this historic wonder.
General Tour
We'll hit the highlights of each topic listed below, and spend time exploring the
main site and outlying structures, as well as interacting with artifacts displayed in the museum or in
our archives. While there is a lot of history to cover, more than 4,000 years to be exact, this
experience will delve into the little-known and nearly forgotten realms of local history, from the
builders of these ancient structures to the Pattee family’s role in early American history, to ongoing
preservation and research of the site.
Ancient Architecture
This topic features the stonework used in constructing this site, and many others throughout the
Northeast. We will take a deep-dive into the architecture of each chamber, wall, and monolith, before
breaking off from the main trail and discovering ancient quarry sites. We will also view many of the
stone tools discovered on the site, including hammer stones used to quarry and shape the slabs on the
main site. From complex window arrangements to effigies built with stone, this tour will cover it
all.
Archaeology
It is important to remember that America's Stonehenge is still an active archaeological site, and has
been for nearly a century! This topic will cover the very first excavations conducted by William
Goodwin, particularly his discoveries and more notable errors. From there, we will discuss the Early
Sites Foundation started by Malcolm Pearson, and the New England Antiquities Research Association
founded by Robert Stone, as well as the research which continued during the middle part of the 20th
century. From here, we will cover the modern technology which is now aiding researchers in their
search for the truth, particularly LiDAR and GPR mapping, C-14 and OSL dating, and aerial
photography.
Astronomy
America's Stonehenge, like many other ancient sites throughout the world, is accurately aligned with
dozens of astronomical events. Of particular note are the Solstices and Equinoxes, though there are
also cross-quarter day alignments at both sunrise and sunset, lunar alignments, and alignments with
the several stars, as well as illuminations. This tour will not only discuss the alignments themselves,
but what they could have meant for people in the past, as ancient holidays were often associated with
astronomical events. We will also discuss the process of rediscovering these alignments and clearing
them for observers today.
Indigenous Cultures of the Merrimack Valley
While it is unknown what culture is responsible for constructing the ancient ruins at America's
Stonehenge, Native Americans certainly made their mark on the land here. Several artifacts associated
with Indigenous cultures living and working in this area have been found. This tour will highlight
these artifacts and the sites where they were discovered, while also discussing the history of these
people both before and after colonization.
The Pattee Family and Early New England
There are several layers of history to be discussed at America's Stonehenge, and one of them is rooted
in the very fabric of America. The Pattee family lived in the area through the 18th and 19th centuries,
and one branch settled on this very hilltop in 1802. While they are not the original builders of the
stone ruins, they left an incredible mark on the hill, and the nation itself. This tour will cover the
history of Salem, NH, and how the Pattee family played a role in its expansion. A family of war-heroes
and humble shoemakers alike, the Pattee family also kept a dangerous secret. This very hilltop was a
stop on the Underground Railroad, as abolitionist Jonathan Pattee hid Freedom Seekers in his cellar to
keep them safe from slave catchers. This tour is not a discussion of just one family, but the entirety
of early American history.
Theories and Evidence
Who built the site? No one knows for sure, but this tour will cover the smattering of theories
regarding the site’s construction, from ancient seafaring Europeans to a crazed colonial farmer, or
a 21st century hoax to visitors from another dimension. We’ll discuss what evidence has been found,
how it has been verified, and what else we would need to discover in order to prove, once and for all,
who built these mysterious structures.
Other
Have a suggestion? Don’t see what you’re interested in listed here? Let us know so we can do some
research and add that discussion to your personalized VIP experience!
Meet Your Tour Guide
James Lacefield has worked at America's Stonehenge since 2018, but has been passionate about history
all his life. As a child, family vacations were more often taken at national parks and historic sites
than themed resorts, and he enjoyed every minute of it, often thinking about working in a museum or as
a park ranger one day. James has lived in nearby Haverhill, Massachusetts all his life, and has worked
to learn all there is to know about the history of the Merrimack Valley. James worked at the site
during the summers through high school and college, before graduating magna cum laude from Saint
Anselm College. He then started full-time as our general manager in 2023. In his time here, James has
learned a great deal from Dennis Stone - the president of America’s Stonehenge, a number of researchers
who have worked on the site, and from his own research. An avid student, James is now working on a
Master’s of History through Southern New Hampshire University in his spare time.
