Crazy Horse Memorial

State: South Dakota. Type: mountain-carving memorial and nonprofit cultural complex on Thunderhead Mountain, Custer County, Black Hills, about 17 miles from Mount Rushmore. Construction began June 3, 1948, under sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski; still in progress with no set completion date. Planned dimensions: 563 feet high, 641 feet long; the face (87.5 feet) and left hand were completed by 2024. Address: 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, SD.

Crazy Horse Memorial is an in-progress mountain carving on Thunderhead Mountain in the Black Hills, intended to depict the Lakota leader Crazy Horse on horseback at a scale larger than Mount Rushmore. The project began in 1948 when sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, commissioned by Oglala Lakota elder Henry Standing Bear, set off the first blast; Ziolkowski led the carving until his death in 1982, after which his widow Ruth Ziolkowski and later their children continued the work. As of 2024, the carving's face and left hand have been completed, though the overall figure, planned at 563 feet high and 641 feet long, remains far from finished, with estimates suggesting the hand, arm, shoulder and horse's head could be done by 2037. The nonprofit foundation behind the memorial deliberately refuses federal or state funding, relying instead on visitor admission, gift shop sales and private donations; it has accumulated roughly $128 million in assets. Beyond the carving itself, the complex includes the Indian Museum of North America and a university, though some Lakota critics have long questioned both the project's pace and its underlying premise, given Crazy Horse's own resistance to being photographed or memorialized.

The memorial is located at 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, South Dakota, in Custer County in the Black Hills, roughly 17 miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The site shares the Black Hills' mountain-influenced continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters at elevation; specific site-level climate data was not detailed in the sources consulted.

Summer is generally the most active season for visitor programs and evening events at the memorial, given the park's daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m. hours; specific month-by-month crowd or weather comparisons were not detailed in the sources consulted.

Oglala Lakota elder Henry Standing Bear commissioned the memorial after failing to persuade Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum to include Crazy Horse there. Polish-American sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began construction on June 3, 1948, with the first dynamite blast, and led the carving until his death in 1982 at age 74. His widow, Ruth Ziolkowski, then directed the project until her own death in 2014; their daughter Monique later served as CEO before stepping down in 2021, with Whitney A. Rencountre II appointed CEO in August 2022, and grandson Dr. Caleb Ziolkowski now serving as Chief Mountain Officer overseeing carving operations. The carving is cut from leucogranite rock. After more than 75 years of work, the face and left hand were completed by 2024, and a new $5.2 million crane was assembled by summer 2025 to speed further progress; the project has no set completion date, though the hand, arm, shoulder and horse's head are estimated to be finished by around 2037.

Visitors can view the ongoing mountain carving from the visitor complex, tour the Indian Museum of North America, and attend cultural events and educational programs offered by Crazy Horse Memorial University. Live webcams and ranger/guide-style programs give context on the carving's progress, and the site includes a restaurant and gift shop for visitors spending a full day.

The Mountain Carving itself is the central attraction, alongside the Indian Museum of North America, Crazy Horse Memorial University, the Laughing Water Restaurant, and the site's gift shop.

Crazy Horse Memorial sits about 17 miles from Mount Rushmore and is reached via US Highway 385/16, roughly a 25-45 minute drive from Rapid City's Regional Airport depending on route. A personal or rental vehicle is the practical way to reach the site, as there is no public transit serving it directly.

As of research, the memorial is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the on-site restaurant serving until 4:00 p.m. and the snack shop until 7:00 p.m. Confirm current hours and any seasonal changes on the official website before visiting.

Current ticket pricing was not disclosed in the fetched official page, which directs visitors to check the website for up-to-date admission rates; the memorial operates as a fee-charging nonprofit that funds the ongoing carving through visitor admission, since it accepts no federal or state funding.

Plan at least two to three hours to view the carving, tour the Indian Museum of North America, and see the visitor complex; a full day allows time for a meal on-site and any scheduled cultural programs.

The nearby town of Custer, a short drive away, offers motels and cabin-style lodging, while Hill City and Keystone, both within the wider Black Hills area, provide additional options. Rapid City, farther out, has the broadest range of hotel chains for visitors basing a longer Black Hills trip there.

The memorial's own Laughing Water Restaurant and a snack shop serve visitors on-site during daytime hours. The nearby towns of Custer and Hill City offer additional casual dining options for those exploring the wider Black Hills area.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is about 17 miles away, and Custer State Park is also within easy reach, making the two memorials and the state park a common combined day-trip itinerary in the Black Hills.

Rapid City Regional Airport is the nearest airport with commercial service; a rental car is the practical way to reach the memorial, since no public transit serves the site directly.

As a large visitor complex with an active, ongoing blasting/carving operation on the mountain itself, visitors should stay within designated viewing and walking areas. Standard sun and heat precautions apply for outdoor viewing areas in summer. For any emergency, dial 911.

Sunscreen and water for time spent at outdoor viewing areas, a camera for photographing the carving, and comfortable walking shoes for exploring the visitor complex and museum.

Combine a visit with nearby Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park to make the most of a Black Hills day. Check the memorial's website in advance for current ticket pricing and any scheduled cultural events or evening programs, since offerings can vary seasonally.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The memorial's general visitor line is 605-673-4681.

Crazy Horse Memorial - https://crazyhorsememorial.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.