Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Description
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of the USA’s most renowned national monuments. The site in South Dakota is home to 18m-tall (60ft) faces of four US presidents – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln – perched 152m (465ft) in the air. These giant faces are carved into solid rock and stand as a gateway to America’s majestic west. Originally called The Shrine of Democracy, the idea to build a monument of this size was conceived by the historian Duane Robinson and the sculptor Gutzon Borglum in 1923. Work began on the monument, which is surrounded by the Black Hills National Forest, in 1927, and took over 14 years to complete the fundraising and carving. Today, the memorial is an internationally recognised symbol of the first 150 years of America’s history and the part the four presidents played in founding it. The memorial hosts many exhibits, walks and lectures during the summer months.
Air: Rapid City Regional Airport. Road: Car: Hwy-16 and Hwy-244 (from Rapid City).
Contact Addresses
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, PO Box 268, Keystone, SD 57751, USA
Tel: (605) 574 2523 or 574 3171 (recorded information)
Website: www.nps.gov/moru
South Dakota - Map
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