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Mount Rushmore National Memorial Color photo of George Washington's eyes as they are carved on Mount Rushmore.
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Mount Rushmore National Memorial
History & Culture
 

"The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt."                        Gutzon Borglum 

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is host to almost three million visitors a year from across the country and around the world. They come to marvel at the majestic beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota and to learn about the birth, growth, development and the preservation of our country. Over the decades, Mount Rushmore has grown in fame as a symbol of America-a symbol of freedom and hope for people from all cultures and backgrounds.

All the cultures that make up the fabric of this country are represented by the memorial and surrounding Black Hills. One of the most important gifts we can give our visitors at Mount Rushmore National Memorial is an understanding and love for our nation's history and cultures and an appreciation of the importance of caring for that legacy.  

Gutzon Borglum teamed up with the Hearst newspapers in 1934 to sponsor a contest. This submission, by a young Nebraskan named William Andrew Burkett, triumphed in the college-age category more...

Old Facilities Photo
Keeping up with the Times Exhibit
(2.17 mb pdf)
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President Coolidge's 1927 Dedication Speech
1927 Dedication Speech
August 10 1927 President Coolidge's Dedication Speech
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1936 FDR Dedication
President Roosevelt's 1936 Dedication
1936 Jefferson dedication by FDR
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Last Updated: August 15, 2011 at 10:01 MST