No trip to South Dakota is complete without a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Our first impression on arrival was “wow – it looks just like the pictures!”. Of course, in all honesty, the pictures don’t do justice to the “faces”, as they are called locally.
Mount Rushmore is amazing!
The likenesses of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln were carved into the granite mountain over 14 years from 1927-1941. We found it interesting why sculptor Gutzon Borglum selected those four. Briefly:
- Washington – because he represents the birth of the county
- Jefferson – because he symbolized expansion of the nation
- Lincoln – because he preserved the country
- Roosevelt – because he represented the development of the nation
The work involved nearly 400 workers and 450,000 tons of dynamite. We recommend taking the 30 minute guided Ranger Walk to hear about the history. You can also rent an audio tour if you want to take it at your own pace. Be sure to explore the Presidential Trail which runs for about a mile along the base of the mountain and includes some good opportunities for close up views.
View of President Washington from the Presidential Trail
Entrance to the Memorial is free but there is a parking charge at the privately built garage. There is a gift shop and cafe as well. Plan to spend a couple of hours to experience this quintessential American experience.
This is one of a series of posts about our Top 10 activity recommendations for families visiting South Dakota with teens and tweens. We hope you will take the time to read about the rest.
We linked this post to the Delicious Baby Photo Friday lineup. Check it out for more really great travel photos and blogs from around the world.
6 Responses to “Mt Rushmore – An American Icon”
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When we were on our huge Wyoming vacation we briefly discussed heading this way…now I am sorry that we didn’t go. We will definitely have to go back. (And we LOVE cheesy American vacation stops!)
Thanks for all the comments, we love going to those cheesy, American vacation stops – just wait till you see the pictures of Reptile Garden later in this series!! Talk about corney!
You kind of think its cheesy to go to Rushmore before you get there, but we really did enjoy our visit there. You got some wonderful photos!
I loved the Presidential Trail, too…we got some decent shots from there.
I went to Mt Rushmore about a decade ago and actually though it seemed smaller in person than tc made it out to be. However, tv and pictures never truly the beauty of the monument justice.
It’s been a long time since I have visited this site and it’s fun to see your pics. It’s been back on my radar since Sarah Vowell released her book, Assassination Vacation, about her travels across the country.
Nice shots! Never been to Mount Rushmore – or the Dakotas. Funnily, it makes me think of Cary Grant pulling Eve Marie Saint to safety in North by NorthWest (one of my fave Hitchcock-films).