Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore

America's Shrine of Democracy, Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the 60-foot faces of four great American presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, respectively. These four U.S. Presidents represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country.

 

Open year-round and located near hotels, the park includes a half-mile walking trail, museum, gift shop and dining room. Below, you’ll find more trip planning tools and frequently asked visitor questions to help you plan your next great adventure to Mount Rushmore National Memorial!

 

Mount Rushmore, Sculptor's Studio
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
1. Visit the Sculptor's Studio

Learn more about the carver's vision. Discover park history in the Information Center.

Mount Rushmore, Presidential Trail
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
2. Hike the Presidential Trail

Explore the site's Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage at the Borglum View Terrace.

Mount Rushmore, Evening Lighting Ceremony
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
3. Attend the Evening Lighting Ceremony

The ceremony is held nightly throughout the summer and is a uniquely inspirational experience.

Mount Rushmore, Junior Ranger Program
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
4. Become a Junior Ranger

Become an official Junior Ranger when you participate in either the paper or digital version of the Junior Ranger Program.

Mount Rushmore, Audio Tour
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
5. Rent an Audio or Video Tour

Rent a multimedia hand-held photo/video tour or an audio tour wand to learn even more about the sculpture and its story.

Mount Rushmore, Ranger Talk
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
6. Take in a Ranger Talk

Take advantage of the immense knowledge of the Memorial's park rangers when you join a ranger walk or talk.

Mount Rushmore, Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
7. Enjoy Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream

Enjoy a scoop of Thomas Jefferson ice cream from the Carver's Cafe, based on the first written recipe for ice cream in the United States.

Mount Rushmore
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
8. Take a Unique Picture

Take a picture of the sculpture from various unique angles, like the Carver's Cafe, Borglum View Terrace and the Sculptor's Studio.

Mount Rushmore, gift shop
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
9. Hunt for a Gift Shop Treasure

Hunt for a treasure in the gift shop that will forever remind you of your Mount Rushmore experience.

Mount Rushmore, Bookstore
Top 10 Things To Do in 2024
10. Find a Memento at the Bookstore

Find a book or memento at the Mount Rushmore Bookstore in the Information Center or Sculptor's Studio.

 
...Let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the words 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 rain alone shall wear them away.
Gutzon Borglum, Mount Rushmore Sculptor, 1930
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Rushmore Video
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Great Faces, Great Places, Genuine Experiences

While You're Here
Grand View Terrace, Mount Rushmore
A Stately Welcome

Walk beneath the proud, waving colors of 56 U.S. states and territories on your way to the Grand View Terrace and Presidential Trail. Meander through the relaxing South Dakota wilderness that reveals unique perspectives of the monument.

Mount Rushmore veteran recognition
Nightly Lighting Ceremony

Each evening, May through September, a ceremony is held in the park's outdoor Amphitheater. It highlights the making of this national monument with a video, flag lowering ceremony, a salute to veterans and lighting of the memorial.

Baby mountain goat
See Mountain Goats & Other Wildlife
Presidential trail to Mount Rushmore
Take a Ranger Tour

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:

What is the closest airport to Mount Rushmore?

Q:

What is the driving distance to nearby U.S. cities from Mount Rushmore?

Q:

What is the best time of year to visit Mount Rushmore?

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 What are the busiest times of week to visit Mount Rushmore?

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What is the climate, geographic information and history of Mount Rushmore?

Monumental Moments

These famous faces look good from every angle. Get inspired and tag your photos with #HiFromSD to share your vacation experiences.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Plan Your Visit

The monumental masterpiece. 

Mount Rushmore map location

13000 Highway 244
Keystone, SD57751
United States

Great 8
Badlands National Park

This striking South Dakota landscape boasts a maze of buttes, canyons, pinnacles and spires. Skeletons of three-toed horses and saber-toothed cats are among the many fossilized species found here. Wildlife abounds in the park’s 244,000 acres and can often be seen while hiking, camping and traveling the Badlands Loop Scenic Byway.

badlands national park
Badlands
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Mount Rushmore National Memorial

America's Shrine of Democracy, Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the 60-foot faces of four great American presidents who represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country. 

Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Great 8
Jewel Cave National Monument

The third-longest cave in the world features a variety of tours below the surface and a 1,279-acre park with nature trails above ground.

Jewel Cave Interior
Jewel Cave
Great 8
Custer State Park

Few truly wild places remain in this country. Custer State Park is one of them. Nearly 1,300 bison wander the park’s 71,000 acres, which they share with pronghorn antelope, elk, mountain goats and a band of burros.

Needles Highway
Custer State Park
Great 8
Historic Deadwood

Walk in the footsteps of historic Old West legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock. This 1870s gold rush town became a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Today, it teems with Black Hills entertainment and things to do including concerts, casinos, museums, historic sites, spas and parades.

Deadwood
Deadwood reanactors
Great 8
Missouri River

History and adventure abound along and on the waters of the Mighty Mo’. Free-flowing sections and four reservoirs — Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case and Lewis & Clark Lake — are prime for fishing, boating and water recreation.

Missouri River Fishing
Pierre Missouri River
Great 8
Wind Cave National Park

The first cave to be designated a national park, Wind Cave National Park features the world's largest concentration of rare boxwork formations along with 33,851 acres of forest and prairie on the surface, creating a sanctuary for wildlife.

Wind Cave National Park
Wind Cave
Great 8
Crazy Horse Memorial

Korczak Ziolkowski began work on Crazy Horse Memorial in 1948. Once complete, this tribute to the Lakota leader will be the largest mountain carving in South Dakota, and the world. The on-site Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational & Cultural Center also provide opportunities to learn and explore.

Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse
Badlands
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Mount Rushmore
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Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave icon
Custer State Park
Custer State Park icon
Deadwood reanactors
Deadwood icon
Pierre Missouri River
Missouri River icon
Wind Cave
Wind Cave icon
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse Icon
Trip Planning Resources
Illustrated image of three bison grazing in Custer State Park. The Needles rock formation is visible in the background.
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Feeding a burro
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Listen to Our New Podcast

Close your eyes. Listen to the rustle of the prairie grass. Hear the sounds of snorting bison in Custer State Park, of cards being shuffled in Deadwood. Imagine being there. Each new podcast episode offers you a deep dive into the wide-open land of infinite variety, reminding you there's always more to discover in South Dakota. Available now on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon.