Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

Keystone, SD

Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills area is a 60-foot-high granite sculpture featuring the faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose these four as he felt they oversaw some of the most important events in U.S. history. Washington signifies the country’s birth. Jefferson was selected as the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. Roosevelt was president when the country experienced rapid economic growth in the early 20th century. And Lincoln abolished slavery and preserved the Union. The sculpture was completed in 1941, and the site features a museum and interactive exhibits. Nearly two million people visit yearly.

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