I love that there is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore, but you do have to pay for parking. It was…read moreregularly $10 or if you're over 62 it's five dollars you take a ticket when you go into the parking lot and you will pay at a pay station before you leave. It will ask you if you're over 62 There is a lot of room to view the monument as well as a restaurant, gift shop, clean restrooms, and plenty of areas to sit on benches and such to enjoy the environment Definitely something you need to check off your bucket list

Really cool to see something in real life that you've seen in so many books, shows and movies!…read more In the summer, it is hot and crowded....unless you go early! We visited twice in the same trip--once in the afternoon that was super crowded and then again earlier in the morning around 7:30-8:00am and there were only a few people there and it was much cooler. The $10 you pay for the parking pass is good for 1 year so can make a quick trip another day if you want. The presidential trail is a nice little walk with a ton of stairs (go to the left towards Washington side to start and you'll go down most of them instead of up). It seems like the trail is closed for maintenance (or something) fairly often which is a bummer! There's a few exhibits and presentations, etc in the visitor center and a good amount of info about the sculpting/creation and the history side of things. Definitely worth a stop and a good hour or two there, but wouldn't center a whole trip around it. And, make sure your kiddos get junior ranger badges!

Dattebayo! *slurps ramen* All future hokage must visit Mt…read moreRushmore at least once. It's a rite of passage. I love how NPS laid out Avenue of Flags as a way to gradually approach the exciting national monument on foot as you grab many patriotic photos with your loved ones. Pleasant huge seating area to relax and soak in the magnificent views of the brilliantly sculpted stone faces. Also love the 1-km protected trail with ups and downs as you catch various angles of the visages. There's also a museum to learn more about the history of the planning and construction of these countenances. $10 parking. Visiting Mt Rushmore was an elating experience. Believe it!

We've been before, this time we came for the night show and lighting of the monument…read more The rangers speech and the video were both great! I read online you should come 1-2 hours early if you want a seat, at least at the end of may that was to early, 30-45 minutes early would be plenty. The park is very clean, the parking garage was easy in and easy out. And the gift shop has nice things not all cheesy stuff.

You can see a Mount Rushmore tunnel view as you are driving through Scovel Johnson Tunnel when you…read moredrive Iron Mountain Road TO Mount Rushmore. it is a one-way tunnel from south to north and fascinating to see Mt Rushmore from here. Driving through the Iron Mountain Road tunnels also means that you'll be driving through Black Hills National Forest. The tunnels -- are carved from granite to create roads through the Black Hills while doing as little harm as possible to the scenic landscape Fact from the web: was named for the man who built the Needles Highway. He also did survey work on the Iron Mountain Road and contributed to the layout of Sylvan Lake.

Fun western themed saloon on the main board walk of Keystone. Decent bar selection of beer, wine,…read moreand whiskey. Daily show times for live entertainment featuring Wild Bill Hickok story that is not your traditional performance as it has a music and a touch of comedy (family friendly). Great bar service (I imagine the restaurant would be as good) There's also a restaurant upstairs if you want to extend the experience to dinner.

It's a fun place to have a drink if you're rambling around Keystone. Looks like Wild Bill could…read morecome in at any second.

July 4th at Keystone SD!…read more On our way to Mount Rushmore we passed by this charming town with many family-friendly activities and attractions, shops, street vendors and dining options. It looked like this was a popular destination for visitors to the Black Hills. We decided to stop here first and see what kinds of souvenirs we could bring home. Finding parking was a challenge but we were able to snag an open spot. It is Independence Day and also election year so many of the merchandise were patriotic things that are Red, White, and Blue all from apparel to non-clothing souvenirs. We poked our heads in some of the shops... bought some stuff and we wore them at Mount Rushmore. There were a lot of locals and tourists... Keystone was busy. Fun stop! Review #3490

Keystone, a town with a distinct western ambiance is about a 10 minute drive from Mount Rushmore…read more The major road that takes you to Rushmore runs right through Keystone, population about 350. Established in 1883 as a mining town, Keystone still celebrates the Black Hills gold rush with establishments like "Gold Diggers", a shop specializing in Black Hills gold jewelry. The Black Hills Central Railroad (1900) has a depot in Keystone, tickets available.There are places to eat in Keystone as well. Keystone House Restaurants, Peggy's Place or a deli sandwich at Teddy's deli.. The National Presidential Wax Museum displays every President, several notable Sioux chiefs, inventors and international figures. The wax figures are the creation on internationally recognized artist, Katherine Stubergh. Among her accomplishments are wax figures created for the movie "Gone with the Wind". Another notable museum in Keystone is the Rushmore Borglum Story, a museum dedicated to the artist that created Mount Rushmore.

I had a really fun and surprisingly memorable visit to the National Presidential Wax Museum. It's…read moreone of those places that you don't expect much from at first, but it ends up being a highlight of your trip. Right at the beginning, you get to step up to a presidential podium and read from a teleprompter, which is such a unique and entertaining way to start. It immediately sets the tone for a more interactive experience. Inside, there are over 100 life-sized wax figures, including every U.S. president, displayed in scenes that represent important moments in American history. The attention to detail is impressive, and some of the figures are incredibly lifelike. It's both educational and fun, which makes it great for all ages. The self-guided audio tour adds a lot of value, giving context and background to each exhibit so you're not just looking at displays--you're actually learning as you go. If you're in Keystone or visiting Mount Rushmore, this is definitely worth stopping for. It's engaging, unique, and a great way to experience history in a different way. Check out our video. We post on all socials @reessroots

We loved this Presidential museum and all their informative and life-like displays. I highly…read morerecommend it as, a must see when you're kin the area.

You can see a Mount Rushmore tunnel view as you are driving through CC Gideon Tunnel when you drive…read moreIron Mountain Road AWAY FROM Mount Rushmore. It loops around so that you will get a tunnel view of Mount Rushmore as you are driving through at least one tunnel no matter which direction you drive! Driving through the Iron Mountain Road tunnels also means that you'll be driving through Black Hills National Forest.

I was in the area and decided why not? I only signed up for the tour but you can also pan for gold…read more I came on a slow day because it was just me for the tour. But my tour guide was great, very knowledgeable about the tale of Big Thunder and how it came to be. It was fascinating going through the mine and getting a glimpse of what it's like actually mining for gold. If you have children I think this is something they would truly enjoy.

This place was fun, we only did panning for gold, but enjoyed the experience! The young man who did…read moreour intro lesson was funny and informative. Definitely would be a fun stop with kids, but takes a bit of patience! You of course don't end up with much gold, and there are rattle snake warnings lol (they may be legit)