Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Featured on the 20th issue of the 2010-2021 National Park Quarter series, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a colossal mountain sculpture in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Completed in 1941, the memorial features 60-foot images of four U.S. presidents chosen for their roles in the “foundation, expansion and preservation” of the nation:
- George Washington commanded the Continental Army during the American Revolution and served as first U.S. president
- Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the country with the Louisiana Purchase
- Abraham Lincoln preserved the Union during the dark days of the Civil War
- Theodore Roosevelt completed the Panama Canal, linking eastern and western parts of the country by water
The memorial grounds comprise over 1,278 acres and include a Visitor Center, the Lincoln Borglum Museum featuring construction exhibits, and the Sculptor’s Studio containing Gutzon Borglum’s original scale model. The Avenue of Flags leads to the Grandview Terrace, and to the Presidential Trail offering majestic close-up views of the sculpture.
Each year, nearly three million people visit the Mount Rushmore National Memorial – known as the “Shrine of Democracy” and one of America’s most cherished tributes to freedom.
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