When I was looking at my journey through the US I saw from my route that I would be visiting South Dakota so I decided to make sure that my route passed through Rapid City so that I could rent a car and spend some time visiting Mount Rushmore.  

I think that most people have heard of Mount Rushmore and for me, I mainly knew it from films and knew no history about it before I went, but decided I had to see the famous monument for myself. It is pretty amazing to see four heads carved into the side of mountain.

History of Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore is in the Black Hills of South Dakota and was authorised to be built by the United States Congress on 3 March 1925 as a memorial to the history of America.  The carving of the faces started in 1927 and took 14 years to complete.  It cost just under $1m.  

The presidents are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt & Abraham Lincoln.  Each face is 60 feet tall (or a 6 floor building) with each eye 11 feet wide, though when you are there they don’t look as big as you expect, especially when you are stood at the main viewing platform!!

The Presidents were chosen as it was wanted that this was a Shrine of Democracy. George Washington as he was the first US president, Thomas Jefferson for being the main author of the declaration of Independence, Theodore Roosevelt for conservation and establishing national parks and Abraham Lincoln for winning a civil war to keep the US together and ending slavery.

Gutzon Borglum the sculptor made plaster copies of the models at a ratio of 1:12  with one inch being one foot on the mountain, so that it was easy to transfer the measurements across.  They used dynamite to get within inches of the measurements and then the rest was carved by hand.  You can see Borglum’s mt rushmore original model at the sculptors studio on the presidential walk.

Mount Rushmore Location

Directions from Rapid City to Mount Rushmore:  From Rapid City take highway 16 southwest to Keystone and then South Dakota highway 244 to Mount Rushmore, it is around 24 miles so should take about 35 minutes to drive.

There is no public transport that goes to Mount Rushmore memorial, but you can choose to do one of the tours from Rapid City if you don’t have a car.

From Crazy Horse Memorial to Mount Rushmore, take the Highway 385 north along Needles Highway and then the South Dakota highway 244 to Mount Rushmore, it is only 18 miles, but will take you around 35 mins as the Needles Highway to quite narrow in places with many turns, it is a beautiful drive and you will probably want to stop along the way to enjoy the beautiful views.

From Custer State Park visitors centre you can take highway 16 north to Mount Rushmore or you could do a loop through the park, past Crazy Horse and to Mount Rushmore, both ways are beautiful drives and if you have time, it’s a great option to incorporate all 3 places on a day trip of the area.

Mt Rushmore Hours and Prices

Mount Rushmore hours from from the 12th March 2023 to 30th September 2023, the grounds and parking will be open from 5am to 11pm.

From 1st October 2023 to 9th March 2024, the grounds and parking will be open from 5am to 9pm.

From 10th March 2024 to 30th September 2024, the grounds and parking will be open from 5am to 11pm.

The visitors centre and gift shop are open from 8am to 5pm all year, though in summer they do not close to till 10pm.  The cafe is open 8am to 8pm in summer and the ice cream shop from 11am to 9pm.

On the 25th December the grounds and parking structure is open but all the buildings are closed.

See below for the entrance fee to Mount Rushmore.

Mount Rushmore Entrance Fee

There is no Mt Rushmore entrance fee for the actual memorial site but you have to pay a $10 Mt Rushmore parking fee per vehicle, but this does allow a non commercial vehicle unlimited entrance to Mount Rushmore for 1 year, so if you are in the area again then you will not need to pay to visit again for 1 year.

How much time do you need for visiting Mount Rushmore

I think you need at least 1-2 hours to visit Mount Rushmore, the visitors center is very interesting with a video that you can watch about the history behind Mount Rushmore, you will also want to take time to do the Presidential Walk and explore the Sculptors Studio.

After all this you can relax with an ice cream or have something to eat in the cafe.

If is possible to quickly visit and see the monument if you don’t have much time, but then maybe it would be better taking a photo outside on the road, so that you aren’t paying $10 for parking for a few minutes.

Things to do at Mount Rushmore

I carried on walking till I reached the grand view terrace, where you have an uninterrupted view.  This is also where the amphitheater is and where on a summer’s night you can watch the Mt Rushmore lighting ceremony.  Unfortunately I was unable to see as I was planning on being at the Crazy Horse Memorial to see the Crazy Horse Laser Show.

Walk the Avenue of Flags

Mount Rushmore has been open to the public since 1941 and in 1976 as part of the Bicentennial celebrations as requested by a visitor the Avenue of Flags was created.

There are 56 flags in total, one for each US state, one district (Columbia), three territories (Guam, American Samoa & US Virgin Islands) and two commonwealths (Puerto Rico and Northern Mariana Islands).

The flags are in alphabetical order starting from the car park and finishing at the Grand View Terrace. You will find plaques below each flag telling you which state, district, territory or common wealth it represents.

Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center

On the lower level of the grand view terrace is the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center where you can see tools and models that were actually used during the carving of Mount Rushmore.

There is also a film to watch about the history of the memorial and how it was created, it also includes images and video footage of the sculptors working on the mountain.  It is 14 minutes long and repeated throughout the day.  It was very interesting and worth a watch if you have time.

Mt Rushmore Presidential Trail

From the visitors centre you can do the Presidential Trail Mount Rushmore, its only half a mile so not a very long trail and takes you nearer the base of the mountain.  There are a lot of steps (422) though on this trail, especially as you walk around to the sculptors studio.  Well worth the effort though to see a close up of the heads.

If you struggle with mobility then it is possible to walk as far as the base of the mountain and return the same way, rather than doing the circular route and you can still get a close of the Presidents heads.

Sculptors Studio

The sculptors studio was built in 1939 as a second studio for the sculptor Gutzon Borglum. You can find a plaster model at 1/12th scale of the Presidents and the tools used by the workers to carve the mountain.

You will notice that the top half of the bodies of the Presidents are also visible in the models, this was the original design but unfortunately money for the project ran out before work could start on the bodies and so Mount Rushmore was finished with just the heads of the Presidents.

In summer the Rangers also do a 15 minute talk about the workers who helped to create Mount Rushmore explaining about the techniques and tools they used.

The sculptors studio does have stairs that you need to go down from the Grand View Terrace for those with mobility issues, but if you speak to the Information Center it is possible to drive around to the Sculptors Studio.

Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream Mount Rushmore

After walking the Presidential Trail Mt Rushmore, I headed back to the cafe on site and tried the Thomas Jefferson Ice Cream, which is created using a recipe written by Thomas Jefferson himself!!  Ice cream became popular in the US after he started serving it in the president’s house in Washington between 1801 and 1809!

Mount Rushmore Evening Lighting Ceremony

The Mt Rushmore lighting ceremony is held from late May until the 30th September each year.  The sculptures are illuminated daily from sunset to 11pm so you can still see this if you are visiting in winter.

If you are asking yourself is Mount Rushmore worth visiting, then I would certainly say yes if you are in the area.  You only need a few hours and you could also spend the day visiting Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park as they are great places to visit near Mount Rushmore.

If you are trying to decide whether to visit Crazy Horse Memorial or Mount Rushmore National Park, then check out my Guide Crazy Horse vs Mount Rushmore to find out the differences between the two South Dakota attractions.

While driving to Custer State Park you can enjoy the views of the Black Hills National Forest, with the occasional glimpse of the presidents.

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Mt Rushmore Tour Packages

If you want to visit Mount Rushmore and don’t drive or don’t want to hire a car then a great option is to fly to Rapid City and take a tour to visit Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and Crazy Horse Memorial.

Best time of Day to visit Mount Rushmore

The quietest time of day to visit Mount Rushmore is before 12pm. The parking structure and grounds are open from 5am but the visitors center does not open until 8am, so I wouldn’t recommend going before then.

The lighting can also be better for photos when you are there on a morning. If you want to see the lighting ceremony at sunset then it would make sense for you to visit late afternoon. Check the times of the ceremony as this can change. Mount Rushmore is lit up until 11pm each night, though in winter the site closes at 9pm.

Remember that weekends and holidays will be much busier than weekdays, so the earlier in the day you can visit the fewer people will be there.

When is the Best time to visit Mount Rushmore

The best time of year weather wise to visit Mount Rushmore is between May and October. The winters in South Dakota can be very cold with snow, though there are very few visitors, making it a unique experience.

In summer it is hot and the summer months have the most number of visitors to the park, but if you visit in summer you will be able to visit the sculptors studio and see the evening lighting ceremony.

• Best time to visit Mount Rushmore
• Mount Rushmore in Winter
• Mount Rushmore in January
• Mount Rushmore in February
• Mount Rushmore in March
• Mount Rushmore in May
• 4th of July at Mount Rushmore
• Mount Rushmore in October

Interesting Facts about Mount Rushmore

1. The original plans for the monument included down to the Presidents waists and this you can see in the 1/12th model sculpture in the sculptors studio. Unfortunately money was running out and congress decided that the project would finish once the faces were completed.
2. Thomas Jefferson was originally supposed to be to the left of George Washington rather than to the right, but the granite on the mountain was covered in quartz which made carving impossible, meaning his position had to be moved.
3. Over the years many bills have been sent to Congress asking for a new head to be added, the first of these was in 1937 when it was proposed that Susan B Anthony a women’s rights activist be added. Due to a lack of money and engineers saying that the rock was unsuitable for further carvings, no further heads have been added.
4. There is a secret chamber behind Abraham Lincoln that was originally built to house information about the monument and American history for people in thousands of years to be able to understand the monument. Due to lack of funding it was never completed.
5. The sculptor Gutzon Borglum died just 7 months before the completion of Mount Rushmore, after working on the project for 16 years age 73. His son took over the project and completed it on his fathers behalf.
6. It took 14 years to complete Mount Rushmore, but Crazy Horse Memorial has been a work in progress for 75 years, with everyone asking the question “When will Crazy Horse Monument be finished”.

If you would like to learn more about the history of Mount Rushmore then read these books.

The Carving of Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore: Myths, Legends, and Facts (Monumental History)

If you would like to learn more about Mount Rushmore and the surrounding area, then read this travel guide:

South Dakota’s Blackhills

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside Mount Rushmore?

No you cannot go inside the heads carved in the mountain and they are carved into the mountain. Originally Gutzon Borglum planned to have a chamber behind the face of Abraham Lincoln that would house information about why the monument was build and american history from 1776 to 1906.

In fact a 70 foot tunnel was actually built but in 1939 congress decided to stop the funding for this project, nowadays the tunnel still exists but it is not open to the public.

Can you see Mount Rushmore from the parking lot?

No you cannot see Mount Rushmore from the parking lot, but once you walk up to the entrance and walk along the avenue of flags you get your first glimpse of the presidents monuments South Dakota.

Do I need to pay to see Mount Rushmore?

It is possible to see Mount Rushmore from the road, you can see while you are driving along the Iron Mountain Road, and as you enter one of the tunnels you will be able to see Mount Rushmore in the distance.

You can also see the profile of George Washington on highway 244 and there is a place to pull in and park up to get your pictures.

Also as you are driving up highway 244 from the east towards Mount Rushmore, you will find a few places that you can pull over and see a view of Mount Rushmore.

Things to do near Mount Rushmore

As Mount Rushmore is located in the Blackhills of South Dakota, there are many places to visit near Mount Rushmore. Normally people will spend maximum of half a day at Mount Rushmore, meaning that you will have time to visit some of the many beautiful places to Mt Rushmore National Memorial.

Places to stay near Mount Rushmore

If you are looking for the best place to stay near Mount Rushmore, then make sure to check out my guide where I explain which towns are the closest to Mount Rushmore and a little about the town, including whether it has shops and restaurants. Then you can decide where is best to base yourself for your trip.

I personally based myself in Rapid City as there were a lot of places to visit in the area.  If you are looking for a hotel mid range then the Best Western plus is a great option. If you are looking for something on more of a budget then there are many other hotels to choose from, though they don’t have great ratings.

For more options in Rapid City.  Click here to check out more options.

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