Skip to Main Content

Shangri-La Stone Village.
Shangri-La Stone Village, 2020.

Shangri-La Stone Village

Field review by the editors.

Prospect Hill, North Carolina

Henry L. Warren was a retired tobacco farmer in 1968 when he began building leprechaun-size buildings in his side yard. He called it Shangri-La, and by the time he died nine years later (at age 84) the miniature town had 27 structures.

Henry built solid, using rock he blasted from his own property. Shangri-La has a gym, bank, library, gas station, theater, and hotel. Henry reportedly worked on his tiny town from dawn to dusk, day after day, and at the same time used his considerable energy to incorporate 11,000 arrowheads into the walkways of his home. His wife once told us: "As long as he had a cigarette and a Coca-Cola, he'd keep building."

A sign in front of Henry's house reads, "Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to man." He died of cancer while working on Shangri-La's hospital.

Shangri-La Stone Village

Address:
11535 NC-86, Prospect Hill, NC
Directions:
Four miles north of Prospect Hill, on the east side of NC-86. Turn at the fire station, then a quick left to get to the Stone Village.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Big ChairsBig Chairs, Hillsborough, NC - 19 mi.
Metal Family with Old TractorMetal Family with Old Tractor, Haw River, NC - 16 mi.
Dukes of Hazzard MuseumDukes of Hazzard Museum, Rougemont, NC - 19 mi.
In the region:
Lydia's Bridge, Jamestown, NC - 45 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in North Carolina

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in North Carolina.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Map and Plan Your Own Roadside Adventure ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

North Carolina Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings