Happy Birthday Mt. Rushmore

OK, so I have to fess up and share that for years I thought Mt. Rushmore was a natural rock formation. Seriously, it is too funny that up until I did a paper on it in Junior High School, I was totally in awe of how not one, but four of our presidents just happen to be on a rock formation in South Dakota. Today is Mt. Rushmore National Memorial birthday. Opened in 1925 it is amazing.
Carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota are the iconic faces of four former presidents of the United States--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These men were chosen to represent the first 150 years of American history and America’s cultural heritage.

The idea came from Doane Robinson to promote tourism in South Dakota and his idea was wildly successful--the park attracts almost 3 million park visitors every year. Gutzon Borglum designed the sculpture. Though he passed away before its completion, over 400 workers helped bring his vision to life.

Today visitors come to appreciate this colossal man-made creation, learn about the design and construction process, appreciate its significance as a symbol of the American history of “monumental” leaders, and to learn about the natural and cultural history of the Black Hills region.