Along a small stretch of Old North Carolina Highway 86, between Prospect Hill and Hightowers, sits a miniature metropolis masterpiece. Shangri-La is the pixie-sized stone town that evolved from the creative mind and artistry of Henry L. Warren, a retired tobacco farmer.

Warren began creating the small village back in 1968 using blasted rock from his property, designing and constructing each piece himself. It was said by those who knew him that as long as Henry had a cigarette and Coca-Cola in hand, he’d keep on building. And keep on building, he did. Over a span of nine years, Henry constructed twenty-seven structures that makeup Shangri-La.  The stone walkway that leads to the little town is yet another one of Henry’s creations in which he incorporated thousands of arrowheads within its path.

The township of Shangri-La includes a gym, bank, library, theater, hotel, church, and just about anything else you might need if you were one of its pint-sized residents.

During his final building project, the Shangri-La hospital, Warren passed away in 1977 due to cancer at the age of eighty-four.

There’s no doubt that some forty-four years later, the talents and creativity of Henry Warren live on in his charming stone suburb, which continues to be a popular roadside attraction for travelers and passers-by.

Visitors are encouraged to sign the Shangri-La guest journal and leave behind a small trinket or souvenir to join the village if they so desire. When touring Shangri-La, don’t be surprised if you happen to come across a toy or knickknack from your yesteryear, as this tradition of adding to the village has been ongoing since its very start.

Legend has it that fairies themselves inhabit Shangri-La, frolicking about in its buildings and houses, scurrying away to hide when visitors stop to admire it. Whether the tales of fairy folk are true or not, the place is truly magical. Shangri-La is just as its name implies: a little hideaway haven of idyllic beauty created from the imagination of one man who simply lived by the side of the road.

The small-scale utopia is featured as one of North Carolina’s Seven Wonders.