Orange County is a pretty stagnant place; filled with strip malls, beach houses and middle-aged dudes wearing backwards hats listening to Jimmy Buffett. Laid back, without a care in the world, the OC is exactly what you've seen on TV...until you come across the oddity that is Bunnyhenge.
Bunnyhenge- which earned its moniker due to its "Stonehengeian" aesthetic - is exactly what you think it is: a hypnotic circle of terrifying bunny statues, (fourteen in total) all wrapped up in a delicious stonehenge pun.
The bunnies themselves are made from solid rock, with beady eyes and an imposing nature. Stoic and seemingly frozen in time, they stare blankly into a cosmic world, a place us humans can't understand with our normal brains. Nonetheless, one can't help but think like they're plotting against us in some way, watching our every move, and waiting to pounce. Or maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself...
Just look at this? Now, who the hell came up with this concept and thought this would be a good thing for children to play with? When I came around to take photos, I saw a kids playing musical chairs and having a grand old time, unaware of how creepy this scene really is.
Sitting in perfect circle formation, and seemingly in some kind of devil worship, I can only assume that this whole charade is a coverup for some Orange County Satanic ritual. Pop a pentagram in the middle and the OC just got really real! Imagine, the real housewives of Orange County getting dressed up in robes when the clock strikes midnight and sacrificing a homeless person to the bunny gods. Their eyes probably glow green when the sun goes down, craving the blood of virgins in order to survive each Easter.
As for their surroundings, the bunnies are located in the middle of an "enchanted" art garden, which features a plethora of other statues to keep you up at night.
HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?
Located right next to the Newport Beach civic center, inside the newly created Civic Center Park, Bunnyhenge has been delighting children and annoying some (horrible) Orange County locals for the last 3 years.
Created by the designers at PWP Landscape architecture, the bunnies were a product of thinking "Outside the playground" and were inspired by Alice in Wonderland after giant quails, lizards and turtles were rejected.
Though marketed as a catalyst to inspire imagination and delight children, the bunnies have been an expensive controversy for the OC. The total bill for the 14 rabbits topped at around $221,000, which irked some of the rich folks that didn't think giant stone rabbits were a worthy investment for the city.
However, despite the constant threat of eviction, the bunnies stand tall, creepy and seem to be having the last laugh.
The LA Times actually did a full piece on the drama.
