The Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota

“My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, too.”

- Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear

At the rate this monumental sculpture is being unveiled, not even your grandchildren’s grandchildren will ever see it completed. Even so, Crazy Horse Memorial is definitely fascinating and important enough to warrant a visit.

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was invited by the Lakota Chiefs to carve the memorial in 1947, after winning first prize for his sculpture at the 1939 World’s Fair. The Crazy Horse Memorial was a direct response to the U.S. Government’s decision to carve Mount Rushmore into the Black Hills, which the Native Americans deemed sacred.

The huge sculpture of the Souix Indian leader, famous for orchestrating the demise of General George Custer at the battle of Little Bighorn, will be the largest in the world upon completion, 563 feet high and 641 feet long. You could take all of Mount Rushmore and fit it into just the face of Crazy Horse.

Write to the following for a brochure or to request information on any special events or scheduled blasting:

The Monument and Whatnot

As a focal point of education and awareness for the North American Indian, Crazy Horse Memorial has been funded entirely as a non-profit organization, with no federal or state money accepted. As a result, it’s been incredibly slow going, and you can only wonder how it will unfold.

Once you enter the Visitor’s Center complex, you’ll be guided towards an old-fashioned slide show presentation, jam-packed with great information. Don’t miss this, as it will give you a good idea about how hard it is to undertake a project of this magnitude: With one false blast of rock, Crazy Horse’s nose could tumble off and the whole project might be over.

If it is around lunch-time, you should bring your lunch inside the complex and use any of their bright red picnic tables on a veranda overlooking the Memorial. You could also buy lunch at the Laughing Water Restaurant located adjacent to the picnic area. The food is fair to good, but very expensive. I recommend bringing your own lunch and looking at the mountain while you eat.

When you see the sculpture you’ll realize that even though you’re over a mile away, it is so huge it seems much closer. The 1/34th scale model of the completed sculpture also helps with visualization of it’s sheer size. The completed face of Crazy Horse is over nine stories high, and eventually the entire monument will be over 550ft high.

There are also several gift shops and a Museum located within the complex, where there are tons of postcards and knick knacks for sale along with buffalo jerky and other must haves. Before you leave the area, go ahead and donate a dollar or so to take along a piece of rock from the various blast areas. It may be heavy to carry around, but it’s really fun to tell the story about how there’s this one guy who’s carving an Indian in a mountain all by himself.

During the summer months there are many additional attractions at Crazy Horse, including live musical performances, art fairs featuring local craftspeople, storytelling, light shows, hands-on exhibits, and other nightly free events sponsored by the Native American Educational and Cultural Center.

Keep in mind that a lot of this stuff is for tourists, and you can get more than a little frustrated by the “ugly American” here. If you look beyond the Indian Chief you can get your picture taken with for a dollar, there’s actually some great history and culture to be found here. Just try and talk to people and dig a little bit.

Although sculptor Ziolkowski died many years ago, his wife Ruth and their remaining family have taken over the project as their own, following his specific instructions. Crazy Horse Memorial may not be even approaching completion for another 50 years, but it is worth taking a look at this magnificent work in progress. Those without imagination need not apply.

©1999 Emma Beyn. Reproduction of this work in whole or in part, including reproduction in electronic media, without the expressed written permission of the author is prohibited.

General Info Section

How To Get There

Crazy Horse Memorial is located in the beautiful Black Hills of western South Dakota on highway 16/385, just 17 miles from Mt. Rushmore.

Where To Stay

There are no campgrounds located within the monument area, but if you want to stay in the Black Hills, there are lots of local commercial and State-run campgrounds open to the public. There are no reservations necessary unless you’re visiting in the height of the summer months.

If I were you though, I’d see the Monument and some of the other attractions in the area and then get the hell out. Drive for about an hour and a half to the amazing Badlands Ranch Resort. The next day you’ll wake up in the serene beauty of one of the most spectacular and undiscovered areas in the United States. Please see my article on Badlands National Park for more information.

Additional Attractions

If you’re in the area, definitely check out my other articles on the following nearby attractions:

Coming Soon!

Mount Rushmore

The Needles Highway

Deadwood, SD

Sturgis, SD

Badlands National Park

Wall Drug, SD

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