Who Is on Mount Rushmore?

Covering over 1,200 acres, Mount Rushmore is a carved-out portion of rock located in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the United States. Also known as the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, this mammoth 5,725-foot carving was sculpted using dynamite and hand carving tools. This gigantic monument features 60-foot busts of four past presidents of the United States.

Who Is on It

The faces of former presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln adorn the side of Mount Rushmore.

When It Was Constructed

The carved rock project began construction in 1927 by Sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his crew. The crew finished in 1941, approximately 7 months after Borglum's death.

How Was It Constructed

Borglum and 400 crew members worked daily with jackhammers, chisels and dynamite blasts to form the 60-foot busts of the presidents.

Why Was It Constructed

Mount Rushmore was constructed to represent the first 150 years of United States History, signifying a memorial to the birth of the country as well as its ideals and growth.

Tourist Attraction

The famed Mount Rushmore receives over 2 million visitors each year.

Resources

• Mount Rushmore Information
• National Park Service
• Mount Rushmore Trivia