Mount Rushmore in the United States

Location	Pennington County, South Dakota,U.S.
Nearest city	Keystone, South Dakota
Coordinates	43°52′44.21″N103°27′35.37″WCoordinates: 43°52′44.21″N 103°27′35.37″W
Area	1,278.45 acres (5.17 km2)
Established	March 3, 1925
Visitors	14,757,971 (in 2010)
Governing body	National Park Service

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in theUnited States. Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum and later by his son Lincoln Borglum, Mount Rushmore features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (in order from left to right) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km²) and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.

South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with conceiving the idea of carving the likenesses of famous people into the Black Hills region of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region. Robinson's initial idea was to sculpt the Needles; however, Gutzon Borglum rejected the Needles site and chose the larger Mount Rushmore. Borglum also decided the sculpture should have a more national focus, and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding, construction on the memorial began in 1927, and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. Upon Gutzon Borglum's death in March 1941, his son Lincoln Borglum took over construction. Although the initial concept called for each president to be depicted from head to waist, lack of funding forced construction to end in October 1941.

The U.S. National Park Service took control of the memorial in 1933, while it was still under construction, and manages the memorial to the present day. It attracts approximately two million people annually.

Tourism is South Dakota's second-largest industry, and Mount Rushmore is its top tourist attraction. In 2004, over two million visitors traveled to the memorial. The site is also home to the final concerts of Rushmore Music Camp and attracts many visitors over the week of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Mt. Rushmore stands as a shrine of democracy, a monument and memorial to this country's birth, growth and ideals. Mount Rushmore symbolizes the greatness of this nation through the greatness of it leaders. The epic sculpture of Mount Rushmore depicts the faces of four exalted American presidents that symbolize this nations rich history, rugged determination and lasting achievements.

Between 1927 and 1941, Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the 60-foot busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the first 150 years of American history. Washington was selected for Mount Rushmore because he was the father of our country and represents our struggle for independence, our constitution and our liberty. Jefferson was to be honored on Mt. Rushmore as the author of the Declaration of Independence, representative government and for the expansion of our country through the Louisiana Purchase. Teddy Roosevelt, the third bust on Mount Rushmore was selected because he saw through the completion of the Panama Canal linking the oceans and opening the connecting waters of the East and the West. Lincoln was chosen for preserving the Union through one of America's darkest hours and for the ideals of freedom and equality for all.

In the words of Mount Rushmore's creator, John Gutzon Borglum, "Hence, let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the works of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were. Then breathe a prayer that these records will endure until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away"

Mount Rushmore Memorial is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, 23 miles from Rapid City. The memorial serves as home to many animals and plants representative of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The geologic formations of the heart of the Black Hills region are also evident at Mount Rushmore, including large outcrops of granite and mica schist.

Rushmore Facts:

• Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began drilling into the 5,725-foot mountain in 1927, at the age of 60.
• Creation of the Shrine of Democracy took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million.
• Rushmore's granite faces tower 5,500 feet above sea level.
• The carvings on Mount Rushmore are scaled to men who would stand 465 feet tall.
• Each head on Mt. Rushmore is as tall as a six-story building.
• More that 800 million pounds of stone were removed from Mount Rushmore while carving the presidents.
• Each president's face is as tall as the entire Great Sphinx of Egypt, measuring 60 feet from the chin to the top of the head.
• The president's noses are 20 feet long, each mouth 18 feet wide and the eyes are 11 feet across.
• The workers had to climb 506 steps daily to get to the top of Mount Rushmore.

In 1998, Mount Rushmore National Memorial celebrated the completion of a 10 year, multi-million dollar public-private partnership project to improve the visitor facilities at the memorial. The project includes a much larger parking facility and the new Lincoln Borglum Museum which features an orientation film and lots of excellent exhibits.

The Avenue of Flags leads from the Concession Building to the Grandview Terrace. The flags of the 56 states and territories line either side of the walkway. The avenue provides direct and easy access to the Grandview Terrace and Presidential Trail, a half-mile walking trail that offers spectacular views of the mountain sculpture.

The memorial offers interpretive programs, exhibits and an orientation film, while Rangers provide interpretive walks and talks, including the Evening Sculpture Lighting Ceremony. The lighting program takes place at approximately nightly around dusk (May-September) in the park's amphitheater. The amphitheater is fully accessible via the Avenue of Flags to elevators at the museum.

Recommended Mount Rushmore Activities/Features

• Stroll the Avenue of Flags, where each state is represented.
• View the Mount Rushmore carving from Grand View Terrace.
• View Mt. Rushmore's new state of the art Visitor Center and Museum including an orientation film on the presidents and the Rushmore carving.
• Walk the Presidential Trail which offers the closest viewpoints of the Mt. Rushmore faces.
• View the evening lighting ceremony held in the amphitheater at 9:00 PM nightly during the summer months.
• Shop for local arts and crafts, such as Black Hills Gold jewelry, in the 5,300 square foot Mount Rushmore gift shop.
• Eat at the Carvers Café which offers visitors a delicious array of food selections, served with a commanding view of the presidential sculptures.
• View the Sculptor's Studio and put yourself in the artist's perspective and view the mountain sculpture and the original model of the carving.
• The next time you visit Mount Rushmore be sure to take part in TheMount Rushmore Audio Tour incorporating music, narration, interviews, historic recordings and sound effects.

Other programs being offered include guided walks to the Sculptor's Studio, Presidential Trail walks, talks on the Grandview Terrace, afternoon children's activities and studio talks. Please check at the park's Visitor Center or call the park at (605) 574-2523 for times of these activities.

Mount Rushmore Tours:

Mount Rushmore Tours web site, a regional directory listing of tours, including bus tours, sight seeing tours, jeep and back country tours and helicopter tours in the Mount Rushmore and Black Hills area of South Dakota. Includes tours of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills for visitors and vacationers while staying at Custer State Park, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Mountain, Sturgis Bike Week, Deadwood casinos and other attractions throughout the Black Hills.

1. ABS TRAVEL GROUP

945 Enchantment Rd
Rapid City, SD 57701
ABS Travel Group offers premium sightseeing in the Black Hills (Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Badlands, Northern Hills & Custer State Park), private charters and much more! With more than 15 years experience, ABS can help you with your every need. So call us today…welcome to our world of travel!www.abstravelgroup.com          
sightseeing@abstravelgroup.com
605-791-2520 or 888-788-6777

2. AFFORDABLE ADVENTURES

09 N. Ellsworth Rd.
Box Elder, SD 57719
Year Round tour services for individuals, small and large groups. Custom and Private Tours • Reunion Planning • Tour and Event Services for Meetings and Conferences • Professional Guides • Motorcoach Services • Narrated • Group and family rates available.
www.affordableadventuresbh.com
affordableadvenutresbh@yahoo.com
605-342-7691 or 888-888-8249

3. GOLDEN CIRCLE TOURS

12198 US Hwy 16 Custer, SD 57730 Let Us Know Where You Want To Go! Everyone will enjoy our personalized, narrated and affordable tours. Let us provide your transportation so you can enjoy what the Hills have to offer. Comfortable, clean, safe 7- and 14-passenger vans and shuttle buses. Informative narration from experienced, safe drivers. Reasonable rates. www.goldencircletours.com 605-673-4349

4. GRAY LINE of the BLACK HILLS 

600 East St. Patrick St
Rapid City, SD 57703
Join Gray Line Mt. Rushmore tours. Travel scenic Iron Mountain Road for wildlife, pigtail bridges and tunnels.
For lunch, a hearty stew then enjoy the beauty of Sylvan Lake. Visit Crazy Horse Memorial which honors the North American Indians. Take a step back in time on 1880 Train like those that helped settle the Great American West!
www.blackhillsgrayline.com
info@blackhillsgrayline.com 
1-800-456-4461 • 1-605-342-4461

5. MOUNT RUSHMORE TOURS

2255 Fort Hayes Dr.
Rapid City, SD 57702
Our vacation packages are the most popular way to tour places like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Deadwood and the many scenic byways scattered throughout. Every day from mid-May through October our sightseeing tour carves its way through the Black Hills beginning at Fort Hays for a cowboy breakfast.
requestinfo@mountrushmoretours.com
www.mountrushmoretours.com888-343-3113