Mount Rushmore travel Guide: Pride, patriotism and awe cloaked in fall splendor

Summer and Autumn is a perfect time to visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills.

Majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln surrounded by the beauty of the Black hills of South Dakota. Tell the story of birth, growth and development and preservation of this country.

Story updated July 3, 2026

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

Few American landmarks are as recognizable as Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Tucked into the scenic Black Hills of South Dakota, this iconic monument draws visitors from around the world each summer. Whether you're planning a family vacation, a cross-country road trip, or a weekend getaway, visiting Mount Rushmore offers more than just a famous photo opportunity. From breathtaking granite carvings and ranger programs to nearby hiking trails, historic towns, and unforgettable Black Hills scenery, here's everything you need to know before your summer 2026 adventure.

An "Avenue of Flags" welcomes visitors - an impressive and colorful array of flags of the 50 U.S. states, territories, commonwealths and the District of Columbia.

A FEELING of intense pride overcame me as I gazed in wonder at Mount Rushmore.

Surrounded by an international crowd of admirers -- many with children, hundreds with cameras -- I heard French, Italian, Hindi, Hebrew, German, Mandarin, Japanese and Polish as people absorbed the accomplishment.  Fellow Americans wiped tears and I found myself emotional, too.

Many children are part of the crowds each day as three million people from all over the world visit annually.

ONE ENTERS  Mount Rushmore National Memorial through an impressive hall of flags.  The display forms an artful promenade -- flags gently waving in autumn winds. The "avenue" was established during the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial as part of the celebration. It was fun to find our two states' flags -- California and Montana. We watched as fellow Americans took photos by their state's emblem. A woman from Mexico proudly recalled her naturalization ceremony here in 2007. "My whole family came," she said emotionally.

There's a fine book store, ranger talks, an excellent film about the monument's making, a beautiful viewing terrace, nature trails, fascinating artful museum, a classy gift shop, and "Carver's Cafe" where the ice cream junkie in our family tasted Thomas Jefferson's own recipe. Thumbs up! "Rich and delicious," he said.

Bruce Keller and Christene Cookie" Meyers at Mount Rushmore National Memorial

THE STAR of the show is Gutzon Borglum's massive carving on the granite mountain. Four remarkable U.S. presidents gaze back at us, from left: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.  Borglum chose them for their contributions to the country, their ethics and morals, global thinking, environmental interests and preservation of the principles of the constitution. 

Borglum inspected the monument many times between the work which lasted from 1927 to 1941 - photo courtesy Mount Rushmore Memorial

History of Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Carving began in 1927 as the son of Danish immigrants undertook his most ambitious project. One imagines him supervising as tons of dynamite blasted through the spirelike granite formations of the Black Hills. Borglum was "hands on," dangling from ropes to inspect the work as his vision took shape.  He was concerned with how morning and midday light would affect his figures, and visited at various times of day to document his perceptions. 

Thomas Jefferson's recipe for ice cream is one of many unique displays at Rushmore.

BOTH federal funds and private donations made it possible to blast more than 450,000 tons of rock from the mountain with the skills of 400 laborers.  No one was killed, remarkably, and the workers are honored on a giant plaque. The original cost of under $1 million seems modest compared to the $56 million spent during an enormous redevelopment project in the 1990s.   

WE'VE VISITED monuments and memorials worldwide -- hundreds of them commemorating fallen war heroes, statesmen, suffragists, sea battles and sailors lost, politicians, economists, scientists, explorers, city founders, musicians and artists, even beloved dogs. None had the effect that seeing this colossal, internationally known stone sculpture had on me.

Crazy Horse reaches out to his peoples' lands in the work-in-progress sculpture. The hole shows where the leader's arm will extend. One can see his finger pointing. His horse will eventually be carved beneath him. Carving began in 1948.

HOWEVER, THE project has not been accomplished without controversy. Some thought the proposal would compromise the natural wonder of architecture formed millions of years ago. Many Native Americans felt that placing the sculpture on their sacred Black Hills land would represent continuing betrayal of trust, and another in a string of broken treaties.

For centuries, Plains Indians including Arapaho, Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux have used the area for prayer, medicine, and for gathering food and building materials. In the latter half of the 19th century, U.S. expansion into the Black Hills led to the infamous Sioux Wars. In the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, the U.S. government granted exclusive use of all of the Black Hills to the Sioux. So one understands the objection to the sculpture.

A sculpture of Gutzon Borglum by his son, Lincoln Borglum in on display at the Memorial.

TO PAY RESPECT to these great cultures and in the spirit of apology for many broken treaties, another memorial is in progress. We visited it, too, and recommend it as a companion visit to Rushmore. 

Mount Rushmore travel Guide should include a visit to Crazy Horse Memorial:

1. The nearby Crazy Horse Memorial is just a half hour or 17 miles down the road from Rushmore. It is an impressive complex on Thunderhead Mountain, with a museum and elaborate displays of Indian beadwork, paintings and sculpture. Its focal point is the  sculptural work in progress of the great Lakota leader and his horse. 

• Another ambitious project, it was begun more than 75 years ago, in 1948, and continues today. The project was commissioned by Henry Standing Bear, a  respected Lakota elder. The massive carving of Crazy Horse was inspired by his heroics at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, in which General George Custer was defeated.

• Survivors contributed memories of the battle to sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski who undertook the project and worked on it for many years.  

Road trip photo shows the back of the granite with the figure of George Washington peeking out.

AFTER Ziolkowski died in 1982, his widow Ruth and family continued the project, operated by the nonprofit Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, which also runs the museum and cultural center. The monument reflects desire to create a symbol of Native American heroism and resilience. Fees range from $7 to about $15.

Mount Rushmore travel Guide fees:

Admission is free.

$10 for parking.

Seniors $5

Active Military FREE

mtrushmorenationalmemorial.com

crazyhorsememorial.org

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• Halloween preview and a special cruise with glass blowing classes. Some of our favorite cruises offer an opportunity to learn a new art and we tried our luck at glass blowing on a recent Celebrity Eclipse cruise to Antarctica.  It's a cool way to educate oneself at sea, and you keep what you make, including a novel urn for ashes of a beloved pet. More on the Bard in rural schools  and a recent Celebrity cruise to the far reaches of the Earth. 

• Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com

Celebrity Cruises offers 15 ships and interesting options to  entertain guests, here a glass blowing demonstration & class.