We visited Mount Rushmore early in the day to avoid long lines, which was a good choice as the area wasn't that crowded in the early morning. As a note, the Annual National Park Pass does not work to get into this National Monument. At the time of visiting, entrance was $10 to get into. We walked the trails surrounding Mount Rushmore, marveled at the carvings, and learned more about the history. Worth seeing, and wished we had more time to explore and hike the surrounding area. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Entrance - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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I've been here three times and I've loved my visit each time. I've gone at different times of the day. It's definitely more crowded the later in the day you go. You can watch the light show at night, and there are trails around the bottom of the mountain that are paved and handicapped accessible. I wish there were a variety of trails here, but it's also a good thing that anyone can access these. I would highly recommend this place! read more

Lots of reviews we read said that it was smaller than expected or didnt meet expectations. We think it exceeded all our expectations plus some. We are so glad we made the road trip to visit. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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We were to D.C. and this place holds the same kind of patriotic feeling for us. This iconic monument is a sight to see. I didn't know if it would be larger than life or smaller than I thought. It's grand! You get a glimpse of the monument coming around the bend outside. We were so excited! Parking is now $11.00 per car which is a small price to pay for this monument. The avenue of flags is also cool leading up to the monument. There is an observation deck in front of the monument that leads to a theater. Around the monument there is a nice walking path where you can get up to the monument. They have a large gift shop too and some light bites. On the way to the monument is the small town of Keystone that has places to eat too. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

Definitely a place to check out. The sculptures are massive. Once you walk to the overlook, take pictures and whatever, go get some Tomas Jefferson icecream. Plain awesome. read more

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Honestly, this is amazing! Not something I would travel twice to see but it is brilliant. To think about the work that went into this piece is hard to even wrap my head around. There is a gift shop that is currently open with COVID but you must wear a mask in any of the shops or places to eat. When we went around 10am the coffee shop there was open as well as the gift shop. The coffee was great and they did not burn their espresso (ya!). Also the gift shop is neat but WAY over priced. I guess they have to keep the place up and running somehow. Also the price to get in for a car load is $30. read more

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Mount Rushmore is something I saw on tv and read about in history books growing up but never thought I'd actually get the chance to see in person until one time my friends and I decided to do a spontaneous 9-states road trip. The drive to the memorial is very scenic passing through pretty lakes, open roads, and mountainsides. We made a couple of pit stops along the way for photos. Once here you pay $10 per car to park. We came on a weekday in the late afternoon and it wasn't busy at all. I was very surprised that the monument is actually a lot smaller than I expected but nonetheless it was still an amazing experience to be able to see this. Walking up to it there are flags on both sides. There are trails you can explore but we didn't do that. We just simply took in the memorial and took pictures. In the evening they have a show where they play a movie and honor veterans in the audience which I find to be very touching and proud to be an American. This is a must-see at least once in your life. read more

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Recently my mom and I visited the area as we had both wanted to see Mount Rushmore. Instead of going on our own, we found a tour company that included this as part of the day.....so we only had a limited time to see this great monument. It was well worth it. Heading up in the tour van and getting out, we walked through the first entryway and there it was. Behind the Flag walkway and in the distance was the monument. Being that it was early in the day, the light reflected on them perfectly so I got some great from the walkway with the State Flags in it to the monument itself. Might i add there are other areas to check out. There is a museum with a film which talked of how the monument was constructed. Also, there is a seating area which has a good view of the presidents where they have talks and also the nightly lighting ceremony. Add to that an eating area and a nice sized gift shop and you have yourself a way to spend a few hours in the Black Hills. We only spent an hour there...I want to go back and see more. Also, there are roads which take you through some of the other parks in the area. If you go through Custer State Park, there is a road that offers a spectacular view from another angle of Mount Rushmore. If this is on your bucket list I highly encourage you to go and see what Mother Nature and man has designed in this neat area. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Zoomed in picture taken from the seating area..... - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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Day #3 on our Drive Across America is a layover day in Spearfish, SD with a day trip to Mt Rushmore. Honestly, I was shell shocked from our 2 hour drive yesterday through golf ball size hail, 60MPH winds while dodging 3 tornados and wasn't ready for another epic drive. Luckily our car didn't get damaged but many others had broken windshields. Last time I was at Mt Rushmore, they weren't selling ice cream, probably because it was December. I didn't know Thomas Jefferson had the first recipe for ice cream and had to give it a try. I was really surprised how good it was. Definitely worth a try. Check it out. Geez, how could you not give Mt Rushmore a 5/5. Only $11 for parking, AWESOME experience. Believe me, it's worth the drive. Makes you proud to be an American, and that's a good thing. Listed in Drive Across America: https://www.yelp.com/collection/4_4-FCUBHEQBq43u7DXRig read more

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I know you're not going to reroute your family vacation due to my Yelp Review, but it's what you assume. It's good, glad I did it, but probably zero reason for a repeat visit. Beautifully taken care of--there are NPs that would be jealous of these palatial grounds. Parking kinda sucks, but really efficient (weird, but true.) Rangers were great (Bryn specifically), non-Ranger staff was average. Thomas Jefferson's vanilla ice cream is a must, but easily shared among 2 people. One walking tour, decent museum, & great Ranger Talk in Studio (female ranger with brown hair was great) 3 hours is plenty of time to dedicate to here. read more

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Very cool to make a stop here. I feel like this is a great "Road Trip" destination. It's very centrally located within the whole US so if you happen to be driving cross-country, t's a great pit stop. We were going from Ohio to Yellowstone, so this was only ~30 minutes out of our way. The area around the monument is kept very clean. I like how they have the flags of all the US States & Territories up front for a grand entrance. I also like how they have all the builders of the Monument listed. It's cool to pay homage to those who constructed this masterpiece! They have at least two book/gift shops, which is nice. We also stopped by the ice cream place to grab some Thomas Jefferson ice cream (separate review listed for that establishment). The ice cream was really good! You can also go on a little mini hike up and around the monument and read about all 4 Presidents throughout. I enjoyed doing that. It was a really easy hike (all with boarded walkways/stairs). I'd say it was a mile or less total, so very easy for families to do together. The only thing that makes them lose a star for me is that we came here in peak COVID time (August) and no one was wearing a mask or practicing social distancing. Honestly, it's kind of difficult to social distance when there are so many people around. But it would have helped if others wore masks (which I'm sure they could have enforced if they wanted to). Even the park rangers were not practicing social distancing. They did however, meter people into the gift shop and enforce the masks when indoors, which was good. So all in all, COVID may be swaying my rating here. So I'd love to go back when we're not in the middle of a pandemic! And if I did go back, I'd try to get there early. We arrived around 11:30a and it was already packed. Try to get there early if at all possible! read more

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I'm speechless. Parking in only $10 and it's good for a whole year. Food at the cafe was delicious. read more

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This was my second time here. It's always worth the trip and awesome to see up close. The amount of time and effort to build this is impressive. It's weird to read reviews of people saying otherwise. Maybe they need to try climbing a mountain and carving a face into the side of it using only tools available to you almost 100 years ago. Weird. You can't go into a NP building without a mask. Sad to see so many people scared to be outside without one on as well. I should remove a star for their nail trimmer keychain being defective. I got this as a joke for my husband but it doesn't even trim nails so the jokes on me. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

So good we went back to see it again the next day! Came for the night show at 9 pm. Was spectacular to see with the lights and the show was quite good as well. Not too many people so quite a space to walk around in. The next day came back during the day and it was very crowded. As we were walking into a shop to grab a mask we got harassed to put on a mask to which I replied "I'm obviously on my way to grab a mask" Walked the trail from the right side down and up the stairs and came back out on the left side. Was quite a beautiful hike - have never seen the mountain from that close. Parking fee for annual pass $10 very reasonable. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - During the day - from the walking trail. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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6/11/2023 This was the driving force in our 38 day, 8500 mile Tour of America road trip this year. It's been a bucket list item of ours for years and this year we finally decided to make it happen. Mount Rushmore lived up to our expectation and it should be a destination for every American. It's impressive beyond words, it's an EXPERIENCE. Even moreso when you learn the history and work that went into creating it. What a gift to be able to look at a granite mountain and see this sculpture hidden in the rock and then make it happen, with dynamite! Mount Rushmore isn't easy to get to but it's worth the effort you put into getting there. Add it to your bucket list and then make it happen. read more

Our family did something a bit unorthodox I guess you could say during our visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. After driving by it multiple times during the day, my husband and I looked at each and decided to visit at night time. Right before the evening lighting of the presidents' faces at 8PM (on 9/5/17), there was a very patriotic presentation by one of the rangers. This "Evening Lighting Ceremony" occurs only during the summer and fall months if I remember correctly. However, the carvings are lit at night all year long during certain hours: https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm There isn't an entrance fee, yet, a $10 parking fee per vehicle. It's supposedly good for a year, but we purchased ours in September and said it expires at the end of this year. Go figure. 2017 Yelp Challenge 101/100 read more

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Mount Rushmore is one of those places that if you can see it for yourself, do it! It's a surreal feeling after seeing it on tv and in pictures to actually drive up the mountain and see the monument in real life. Before I drove to the actual monument, I took the scenic route on the Iron Mountain Road - it is a two lane road that goes mostly uphill - but gorgeous views of Mount Rushmore through some one-lane tunnels. Be sure to stop at the Norbeck Scenic Outlook, where on a clear day you can see a gorgeous view of mount Rushmore - great photo opp! So back to the monument itself - I was surprised that you only pay the cost of parking ($10 - October 2017) and that the pass is good for unlimited park entrance for the rest of the year! Not sure how busy it is in the summer, but during my day here there were quite a bit of people. I woke up super early the next morning to go back, got there around 6 am, and got some great photos with very minimal people being there that early (again this is in October so not sure if it's different in the summer months with more crowds). The park opens super early, at 5am and closes late (times may change due to seasons). Also great to note is that they do the evening lighting ceremony every day at sunset and after 5pm when the ticketing booths close for the day, the park gate is left open for everyone to enter. When you walk through the Flag corridor to the main viewing platform, go to the left to access the Presidential Trail. You get a closer view of the faces, and some more great photo opps. It is a simple flat walk around and then there are steps you can take back down to the Sculptor's studio ( a little more strenuous) - or just walk back the way you came (not too strenuous). I wanted to take a helicopter ride to see the faces up close but weather was bad on the day I had it planned. Def something I would do if I'm ever there again, but I am happy I got to enjoy this experience! read more

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I have visited Mount Rushmore National Memorial previously, but this visit my primary purpose was to run/walk the trail. The trail was quite smaller and shorter than I expected, but it had a lot of good climbing. I would not suggest visiting primarily for the trail experience but the overall experience is amazing. The drive itself to the memorial is very scenic and there are trails along the way and plenty of shops in the town of Keystone near the memorial. If you have never visited Mount Rushmore it's a great place to visit but you maybe underwhelmed if that's your primary purpose of the trip, you must visit places like the Badlands and Black Hills during your visit. I highly recommend visiting the area, especially if you enjoy outdoor activities. read more

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Second time going to Mount Rushmore and both my first and second time I was in awe of how breathtakingly beautiful the monument and the scenery around it is. Definitely worth it! And $10 for parking isn't too bad! read more

I have always wanted to see Mount Rushmore. This was a highlight for our family on this trip. Did you know that Doane Robinson had the idea to carve heroes on a mountain? He wanted the western heroes such as Buffalo Hill, Chief Red Cloud, Lewis & Clark, and Sacagawea to be carved on Needles. However, the sculpture Gutzon Borglum changed it to four presidents and wanted them to be carved on a granite mountain. Around 400 men and women worked to create Mount Rushmore. They had to climb over 700 stairs to get to the top of Mount Rushmore. It took about 14 years to complete it. Since it is a popular destination we advise you to arrive early. There are plenty of places to take pictures so that you can avoid getting others in your captures. read more

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Every American citizen should make an effort to visit this national treasure. Just a half hour drive south of Rapid City, SD is the town of Keystone which lies just outside of the park. Here you will find plenty of food and souvenirs. Once you enter the park you will find a parking garage with an elevator. The monument is carved into a granite mountain. It consists of the 60 foot heads of Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt. It was designed and overseen by sculptor Gutzon Borglum from 1927 until 1941. At the sculptor's studio, park rangers explain how the monument was designed and built. There are models of the presidents heads and tools which were used during the construction. The park is well laid out providing great views of the monument from every angle. You can walk The Presidential trail which will bring you as close as possible to the monument. Beware there are many steps involved. The easiest view is from the Grand View Terrace. There is a nightly lighting ceremony just after sunset. The pitch black memorial is lit up with the rest of the mountain remaining dark. There is a cafe, book and souvenir store. The Carver's Cafe food is pretty good. Like a large cafeteria. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some notable items are the Bison burger, Pot roast, lemon pepper chicken, chocolate cake, and ice cream made from Thomas Jefferson's original recipe. read more

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Very well organized. I loved how the entrance to the monument is right outside the parking. Once you pay your ticket, you drive into whichever parking lot is open and then you climb one set of stairs and there you are at the entrance. They have elevators as well. The monument is at the end of a long pathway that has flags and very pretty to walk among. They offer things to buy like lemonade and ice-cream. They also have a bookshop open for souvenirs. I am glad I made the stop. read more

Watch your step! Awesome, patriotic and a must see. But watch your step since there is horse poop on the trails. What a desecration of our national monument. There are no bad horses, only horse owners. read more

If you've never been you must go. What an amazing site to see. Everyone from parking attendants to cashiers to tour guides were extremely friendly and seemed as if they enjoyed what they were doing. You have to take a walk down the trails to get a good feel of the journey that was there. You won't be disappointed, I promise! Oh and try the strawberry cheesecake ice cream super yum! read more

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I mean, if you happen to be in Keystone, South Dakota, you may as well go. Landmarks, architecture, works of art. I like them for three reasons. Of course there is the sense of history; without it, Venus de Milo is just a broken statue, Haight-Asbury is just an intersection, and the Grand Canyon is just a hole. Another reason is that is the aesthetic- seeing art in person is better. A stranger reason is that these things are like artistic celebrities, photographed so often that it's fun to see them in real life. And third, they usually attract stupid tourists from whom I can easily pickpocket. I'm TOTALLY KIDDING. I don't like the sense of history. Anyway, if you don't care about the sense of history, the aesthetics "in person", the "celebrity" factor, or the international food faire of tourists, then driving up a mountain would be a waste of time and money for you because you can just look at the photos and call it a day. For those of you who are planning a road trip, part of the fun is seeing little glimpses of the sculpture as you climb up the mountain road. Ooh, look that's Washington's ear. Hey! Lincoln's eyebrow!! And, another bonus: the trail allows you to get different angles of the monument, so if you veer off to the right, you can get a good shot at Lincoln's head. You'll be a regular John Wilkes Booth. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - 6/78 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

How does one not like Mount Rushmore? I went here in 1987 when I was in the military. I didn't have a camera and I said I'll be back. 34 years later, I finally made it back, sober this time. It's awesome, an artwork worthy of the greatest nation in the history of the planet. Mt Rushmore's depiction of the greatest Presidents represents ideals in a way very few artworks really could. read more

Impressive sight! Definitely a must do. Bucket list item. Hurry up before Donald Trump makes an executive order to have himself carved up there. read more

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It fun, historic, and fast. We spent an hour there. It was great. Expect many stairs. IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH STAIRS -- When you walk in and are looking up at the mount, turn left/south and take the presidential loop in that direction. It's less stairs up to the close up viewing platform. When you reach that platform, enjoy the sight, take a picture, and go back the way you came. read more

Having lived in the USA for some time I've always wanted to visit 'the faces' as I call them. So when we had some vacation days he agreed to take a road trip. It was awesome! Driving up and under the rock 'arch' and getting a glimpse of the presidents for the first time. I've seen photos of course but to see it in person was great. There is construction currently so it was very crowded as people were congregated in the same areas. We didn't walk the trail or stop for ice cream because it was too crowded for us. Maybe I'll bring my son back and we can do that then. Construction would also be over so it'll be a nicer visit. The $10 fee I thought was fair as we have to preserve and upkeep the area. Pay your parking fee at one of the parking kiosks before you head back to the garage as it's less busy. read more

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Amazing views of the monument and surround areas. We walked the paths which have interesting information about the monument and different views. The whole path is paved although there are stairs. We really enjoyed our time here. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

Mount Rushmore is a National Memorial that is a " must see " for anyone that cares about the history of our beautiful country. It's an awesome site to behold and what a tribute to our great nation. Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. USA!!! You just have to think about the tremendous endeavor that it took by so many to make this gorgeous and moving site for future generations to enjoy. Mount Rushmore is more than a tribute to to these famous historical figures, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. So much more...started in 1927 and finished in 1941. The artists were Gutzon Borglum and his son, Abraham Borglum carved through solid granite!! It's amazing to see and if you have an ounce of patriotism in your blood...it's proud moment that rushes through you!! Don't miss this one!! You won't be disappointed!! read more

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Mount Rushmore is a memorial everyone should see if they are interested in American history and the Great American West. I can't tell you why. We came because it exists, and my husband has always wanted to see it. I saw it as a kid, but I was okay to come back. I am not sure I need another trip here, though. The terrace and walkway was under construction, some food trucks were closed, and I feel like way too many people were crammed in the gift shop. There is a six-story parking garage. You have to pay $10 for parking and your national park annual pass will do you no good here. The rangers are really nice, and there are some great campgrounds and trails nearby. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Mount Rushmore - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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Seeing the monument is better is person. It's a must to go at night at there is a lighting ceremony at 9 pm. It takes about an hour. Parking per car is $10.00 read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

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As of September 2019 Mount Rushmore is under construction which will limit your overall experience. Pros -Parking is very easy, lots of staff to direct you and keep the busy monument efficiently traveled. Lots of parking for RVs, large sized vehicles etc. They also have shaded parking as well. -Beautiful monument itself with a variety of different shops and spots to view the memorial Cons -The monument is listed as dog friendly, but really it is not. You can walk your dog to the entrance of the area and thats about it. The "dog areas" are literally a 25ft x 25ft area that is not fenced in. It really is just a small landscaped side to the parking garage. They do have poop bags there though. -Its crowded AF - especially during the summer. Visit during off season or early/super late in the day to have a more secluded experience -As of September 2019, the area is under construction which prevents you from getting closer to the memorial or using the hiking trails. The usual ability to disperse the crowds is really limited due to this. Its basically 10,000+ people taking pictures in the same 3-4 spots. Overall, Mount Rushmore is worth a visit - just temper your expectations and visit very early in the morning or super late at night for your best experience. read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Best view of the monument IMO - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

We went to the night show and boy was I disappointed!!! The amphitheater was closed for repairs and the faces were so poorly lit you couldn't even see George Washington. The flag folding ceremony was done in the dark. Come on US Park service. If your going to do it do it right. Not impressive at all. If anyone is plan on going to Mount Rushmore, go during daylight hours. read more

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Four President, one mountain - exactly as advertised. Of course, that's not all. It's actually really cool to visit this site and see it for yourself. read more

We paid for parking in a car garage. Then a quick walk to Mount Rushmore. It was very clean and well organized. This mountain was carved to depiction of 4 former American presidents. It was breath taking and a bit over welling. Please take time to really take in this mountain because I cried. My family has served this country for generations. This place make you feel proud to be an American. read more

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This place is the perfect example for camera and movie trickery, right up there with the Statue of Liberty. If you can get past that, Mount Rushmore is a fun place to visit and you can walk right up to the base of the mountain using the Presidential trail. This is a piece of national history and once you get into the museum and learn about the effort it took to create, it adds to appreciation. - It took 14 to carve - Must try ice cream! - Parking is easy - Inexpensive entrance If you get here and decide this place just isn't as exciting as you had hoped, at least try some of Thomas Jefferson's ice cream! It's pricey by the scoop but it's supposed to be the original recipe from the birth of the nation. Overall, my second visit was more enjoyable! read more

Great history for kids. Not only of Mount Rushmore but also about history of the United States read more

Mount Rushmore National Memorial - My Rushmore - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Keystone, South Dakota

Real cool place too visit. Some video movies and a museum It is a neat place. Would recommend checking out read more