Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a monumental sculpture in the Black Hills of South Dakota, featuring four American presidents carved into rock. Each face measures roughly 60 feet (18 meters) in height and was cut directly from the granite mountainside.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum led the work between 1927 and 1941, using dynamite and hand drilling to remove stone. Roughly 450,000 tons of rock were cleared during this period to reveal the faces.

Visitors today see four presidents carved into granite, while the land itself once held sacred meaning for the Lakota people. Many come to reflect on leadership and democracy, while others notice the tension between national symbols and indigenous memory.

The site opens daily in the early morning and closes late in the evening, with parking, a museum, and hiking trails available. Rangers offer regular programs that provide background and deepen the visit.

Below the heads, sections remain unfinished because funding ran out before the original plan to carve full torsos could be completed. The artists had intended to include bodies down to the waist, but work stopped at the shoulders.

Location: Pennington County

Inception: March 3, 1927

Creator: Gutzon Borglum, Lincoln Borglum

Official opening: October 31, 1941

Made from material: granite

Operator: National Park Service

Website: http://nps.gov/moru

GPS coordinates: 43.88010,-103.45940

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:59