The history of Mount Rushmore is by far the most fascinating of all the US National Parks for good & very obvious reasons! Aside from past president heads and their great significance in American history, it's just astonishing how the memorial was cut out of mountain! For instance, did you know the mountain they were carved out of was partly done out of using dynamite? That may seem normal, especially when we're talking about when the first blast went off, but it's absolutely amazing how something so unbelievable was created using incredibly dangerous and powerful explosive. Although it was said to be an absolute miracle there weren't any fatalities during the fourteen year carving of Mount Rushmore, some of the hundreds of men and women working did pass away of silicosis.

Rock Stars of Mount Rushmore

I myself love to draw, you give me a 6B Mars Lumograph and I'll go spend my sweet time outlining cool manga, but when it comes to sculpting something out of rock, I normally think of chiseling with a chisel, but can you believe they used jackhammers? The men and women who took part in creating these sixty foot faces were rock stars on bosun chairs! Carving of the memorial began in 1927 and it was officially declared complete in 1941.

Mount Rushmore Presidents

The four heads on Mount Rushmore belong to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.Of the thirty presidents who took office since the first blast in 1927, I was curious as to why there were only four presidents chosen and here's why...

• George Washington:  George Washington, literally our first president since breaking free of England who served two entire terms (1789 - 1797) was the general in our nation's military during The Revolutionary War. That alone should explain why he's there and in first place, but we will forge on (get it? Valley Forge)... There are presently fifty one published books in existence written about and/or including George Washington. Born February 22nd, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia and past away December 14th, 1799 in Mount Vernon, Virginia also presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution, which took place between May 25th and September 17th, 1787.
  
  
• Thomas Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson, our nation's third president who also served two terms from 1801 to 1809 and served as Vice President to John Adams, our nation's second president was also famous for one another thing... Born April 13th, 1743 in Shadwell Virginia and passed away July 04th 1826 in Monticello Virginia, Thomas Jefferson is mostly famous for writing our Declaration of Independence... The pronouncement which was created and adopted by the Continental Congress to announce, not to mention explain our separation from Great Britain. Our United States Declaration of Independence was published July 04th, 1776, the day our country was founded.
  
  
• Theodore Roosevelt: Theodore Roosevelt (AKA Teddy, AKA The Lion, AKA The Rough Rider), our nation's twenty-sixth president was awarded the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the Treaty of Portsmouth involving the negotiations to end the Russo Japanese War between Russia and Japan. The part President Roosevelt played as mediator to the Treaty of Portsmouth, which took place between August 06th thru August 30th, 1905 catapulted the United States as a force to be reckoned with.
  
  
• Abraham Lincoln:  Abraham Lincoln, our nation's sixteenth president who would have more than likely served a second term had he not been assassinated in 1865 abolished slavery through the American Civil War. The Gettysburg Address, which is the speech President Lincoln delivered at the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery in Gettysburg. His Gettysburg Address became the cry for Equal Rights, Democracy, Liberty, Nationalism and Republicanism.

Hours of Operation and Entrance Fees

Although operation hours may vary from season to season, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is open seven days per week with exception to December 25th.

Hours of Operation between March & September are between 5am until 11pm / between October & March: 5am until 9pm

The $10 Parking Pass is valid fore up to one year of your first visit and discounts for active military personnel and seniors apply.

For more information, please visit Mount Rushmore's National Park Service Page: https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm