The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to Mount Rushmore, an iconic national monument that honors four of America’s most beloved presidents. Faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln are carved into the granite mountain face at a height of 60 feet (18 meters).

Mount Rushmore was begun in 1927 and finished almost 14 years later. It was designed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln. George Washington represents the nation’s birth, Thomas Jefferson honors the nation’s expansion and the Louisiana Purchase, Theodore Roosevelt personifies the country’s rise to industrial power, and Abraham Lincoln personifies the union’s survival during the Civil War.

Mount Rushmore is now both a source of national pride and a major tourist destination. The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center is where guests may get information on the monument, take a tour of the Avenue of Flags, and enjoy a lovely walk. The evening lighting ritual is a time of great reverence and patriotism.

The monumentality and beauty of the sculptures at Mount Rushmore are a lasting tribute to the ideals of American freedom and democracy. It continues to astound and amaze people from all over the world by revealing the personalities and events that built the nation.