Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Shrine of Democracy
Few attractions stir the emotions of visitors the way Mount Rushmore does. Since its completion in 1941, it has joined the Statue of Liberty and the Stars & Stripes as one of America’s most inspiring symbols of democracy.
The Memorial, located 23 miles southwest of Rapid City, is awesome and impressive. The granite faces of four American Presidents tower 5,500 feet above sea level and are scaled to men who would stand 465 feet tall. Each head is as tall as a six-story building! Sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s attention to detail makes the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln appear almost lifelike in the morning and afternoon sun of the Black Hills.
Gutzon Borglum carved his mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. And much to skeptics’ surprise, his work proved neither incongruous nor ridiculous. Instead, the ambitious sculpture became one of the nation’s most beloved national memorials, and today it stands as a symbol of this country’s unflinching dedication to democracy and freedom: Mount Rushmore National Memorial. As Borglum so brilliantly planned, their faces appear to be mobile and fluid when they catch both the morning and the afternoon sun. President Calvin Coolidge believed Mount Rushmore was “decidedly American in its conception, magnitude and meaning. It is altogether worthy of our country,” Coolidge proclaimed at the dedication of the project in 1927.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is host to almost three million visitors a year from across the country and around the world.
Buy Mount Rushmore Memorial Parking Passes
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Fees, Facilities and Hours
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is open year-round except Christmas Day. Summer hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and in the winter the park is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. more…
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Activities and Programs
There is a variety of activities and programs for visitors to experience the Nation's Shrine of Democracy. more…
What You Should Know When Visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore National Memorial offers a unique national park opportunity. more…
Independence Day Celebration at Mount Rushmore
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial Independence Day fireworks have become a national celebration and vacation destination. It is one of the nation’s top rated fireworks displays and is held each year on July 3rd. Over 20,000 visitors visit the Memorial to take part in this spectacular celebration. more…
Please visit the Official Mount Rushmore National Memorial website.
