Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial

I have always wanted to see those giant faces carved out of granite at Mt Rushmore.  By selecting four great presidential figures for carving at Mt Rushmore, the aim was to create an eternal reminder of the birth, growth and preservation of a nation dedicated to democracy and the preservation of individual liberty.  The carvings in granite were started in 1927 and finished in 1941.  Mt Rushmore has a southern exposure giving it direct sunlight most of the day.  Washington’s head is 60ft tall, with a 20ft nose and an 18ft wide mouth and each eye 11ft across.

The granite faces seen through a tunnel which is a great frame specifically chosen by the road planner.  Many of the tunnels in the area are narrow and one lane access only.  There are some roads we could not get through due of the height and width of our rv.




The Crazy Horse Memorial is a work in progress having been started in 1948 with only the face completed to date.  The body on a horse with the left hand pointing to the ancient land of the Lakota is still to be carved.  It is mankind's largest art project in progress - 641 ft long and 563 ft high with a 219 ft high horse's head.  Lakota elders commissioned the work hoping that it would balance the presidential focus of Mt Rushmore.  The Lakota wanted the white men to recognise that the Indians had heroes too.  The artist chosen was Korczak Ziolkowski and his large family have continued the work since his death in 1982. The face was dedicated in 1998.  

The model of the intended memorial.