Crazy Horse Memorial, Memorial sculpture in Black Hills, South Dakota.
The Crazy Horse Memorial is a monumental sculpture under construction in the Black Hills of South Dakota, depicting the Lakota leader on horseback with his arm extended toward the horizon. The work is being carved from Thunderhead Mountain and measures about 172 meters (564 feet) in planned height, with the head alone standing 27 meters (87 feet) tall.
Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began work in 1948 after Chief Henry Standing Bear invited him to create a monument honoring the history and dignity of Native Americans. Ziolkowski worked on the mountain until his death in 1982, after which his family and a team of helpers continued the project.
Crazy Horse never allowed his photograph to be taken, so the face on Thunderhead Mountain is an imagined likeness. Some Lakota oppose the carving because they regard the Black Hills as sacred. The memorial's museum displays Native American objects, and the site is run by the nonprofit Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation without federal or state funding.
Visitors can watch the ongoing work from viewing areas that offer a clear look at the warrior's face and the changing mountainside. After controlled blasts, guests are sometimes allowed to collect small rock pieces as a souvenir taken directly from the stone.
When finished, the sculpture will be the largest mountain carving in the world, surpassing Mount Rushmore which lies about 13 miles (21 kilometers) away. The entire project is funded without government money, relying solely on private donations and visitor admission fees.
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