Mount Rushmore was sculpted between October 4, 1927, and October 31, 1941. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the presidents to represent the first 150 years of American History.

Carved from the ageless granite of South Dakota’s Black Hills, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was originally envisioned as a tribute to some of the American West’s legendary heroes.

Built to draw travelers The concept for Mount Rushmore was proposed by historian Doane Robinson in 1923 as a bold way to draw tourists to the state as more people bought their first motor cars and ...