Crazy Horse Memorial is the other mountain carving in the Black Hills, and it is a different kind of visit from Mount Rushmore. It is unfinished, privately funded and rooted in Lakota history, and it comes with a campus of museums that deserve more time than most first-time visitors allow.
What it is
The carving honors the Oglala Lakota leader Crazy Horse and has been under way since 1948, when sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began at the invitation of Lakota elders. It is a nonprofit project that has declined government funding, and the Ziolkowski family continues the work. The face was dedicated in 1998, and the rest of the figure and the horse's head are still being shaped by blasting. Because it is not a federal site, national park passes do not apply.
How admission works
Admission is charged by the carload, with tiers by the number of people in the vehicle, and there is no separate parking fee. Rates change, so check the memorial's current pricing before you go. Admission covers three museums, an orientation film, views of the sculpture from the veranda and the wall of windows, and scheduled cultural programming. A re-admit pass for a return visit within seven days is available from the Welcome Center, which is useful if you want to come back for an evening program.
The bus and the van
Guests cannot hike or drive to the carving. A short bus ride to the base of the mountain is an optional extra at a few dollars per person, and it is the best way to feel the scale of the work. A guided van ride to the top is offered at select times for a much larger gift per person. Pets are not allowed on either, though service animals are exempt.
The museums and programs
The Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Cultural Center present artifacts, art and demonstrations that give the memorial its context. Plan to spend as much time here as at the viewing areas. Scheduled cultural programs vary by season, so check the calendar when you plan.
Hours and timing
The memorial is open daily year-round, with a daytime window that changes by season, so confirm hours for your dates. Summer mornings are cooler and less crowded. Allow two to three hours, plus extra time for the bus ride and any program you want to catch. The mountain faces the viewing area, so mid-morning to afternoon is usually good for photographs, though clouds and haze change the view.
Annual events
A Volksmarch hike toward the mountain is held on a Saturday in early June and again on a Sunday of the late-September weekend that also hosts the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. Evening programs run at certain times of year, so check the memorial's calendar before you plan around one. Visitors who time a trip for the roundup weekend can see both in a few days.
Visiting with children
Children tend to love the museums' hands-on displays, the film and the bus ride to the base of the mountain, and the veranda gives an easy view for those who tire quickly. Bring snacks and a hat, since the campus is exposed, and use the seven-day re-admit pass if a younger visitor runs out of energy and you want to come back another day.
Accessibility and comfort
The Welcome Center, the viewing areas and the museums are the main accessible parts of the visit, while the bus and van involve steps and uneven ground, so ask about options if mobility is a concern. Summer afternoons can be hot and winter mornings very cold, so dress in layers and plan indoor time in the museums during extreme weather.
Crazy Horse versus Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is finished, federal and free to enter, with a parking fee, and it tells a story of presidents. Crazy Horse is ongoing, privately funded and charges admission by the carload, and it tells a story of the people whose land the Black Hills are. Most visitors do both, and the contrast is part of what makes the pair worth seeing together. If you have time for only one, choose by interest: the faces for iconic scale, or the work in progress for the story behind it.
Getting there
The memorial lies between Hill City and Custer, a short drive from Mount Rushmore, which makes it easy to combine with Iron Mountain Road and Custer State Park in one day. A coach tour from Rapid City includes it, and a self-guided audio tour covers the road between the two carvings.
