Mount Rushmore National Memorial

The faces of four United States presidents emerge from granite rock, each measuring 60 feet tall against the mountain landscape of South Dakota.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum directed the carving project from 1927 to 1941, removing 450,000 tons of rock through dynamite and hand drilling techniques.

The monument represents four key periods of American history through Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln, displayed on land sacred to Lakota Sioux.

Mount Rushmore welcomes visitors daily from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM, offering parking facilities, a museum, hiking trails, and ranger-led educational programs.

The mountain contains unfinished sections below the presidents' heads, as budget limitations prevented the completion of planned full-torso carvings.

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: May 27, 2025 20:45