Experience Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota

By Meg Brunson

When visiting the Black Hills in South Dakota, we knew we wanted to see Mt. Rushmore and quickly discovered that we also needed to see the Crazy Horse Memorial.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is similar to Mt. Rushmore in that they’re both carved into mountains in the Black Hills – one honoring Four US Presidents, the other honoring a warrior of the Lakota Tribe. Both playing an important role in the history of the Black Hills. 

Crazy Horse is not finished. So, you should know that before you arrive. What you’re able to see is a work-in-progress and the story behind it is amazing, for it was one man who was responsible for all the work until he passed away and his family took over. You are able to see the progress on the mountain, multiple casts and smaller statues depicting what the final product will look like – and even take home a piece of the mountain with you!

Admission fees were reasonable and based on the number of people in one vehicle, so with a big family arriving in one car, we paid $30 which I felt to be very reasonable considering that we’d gain access to the museum, grounds, and that the monument is funded completely by donations.

Inside the museum we were able to learn more about the Lakota people and Crazy Horse himself – and the role he played in American history as he attempted to protect others from US Soldiers.

We really loved “measuring up” the smaller casts with the mountain to see the vision coming to life before our eyes.

Tips for a terrific visit:

• Do Mount Rushmore first – if you are going to see both Rushmore and Crazy Horse, I recommend you do Rushmore first. Crazy Horse is much bigger and you’ll do yourself an injustice to not “wow” at Mt. Rushmore before you see the magnitude of Crazy Horse.
• Pet policy – dogs are allowed in the outside areas of the monument. This will mean though that you will not be able to access the inside museum exhibits, giftshop, and restaurant with your pup.
• Plan for special events – I wish we had been able to make it work to visit during one of the laser light shows. The Legends in Light, light show is shown nightly from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September and it looks amazing! They also have various other special events throughout the year.

Start planning your trip to see the Crazy Horse Monument at https://crazyhorsememorial.org/ and also read about our experience with Mt. Rushmore HERE.

Read about some of the other adventures we're having on our  Indefinite Road Trip!

© 2020 Meg Brunson

All opinions expressed are my own. See more on Instagram!

Meg is a mommy blogger, Facebook marketer, and much more. She is a mom to four kids who live full-time in an RV exploring the US! As a former Facebook employee, Meg remains a Facebook addict and handles KidsOutAndAbout.com's Social Media Marketing in addition to providing freelance services for other small businesses on how to best leverage Facebook as a part of their marketing strategy. Meg also hosts the FamilyPreneur Podcast, a podcast for parent entrepreneurs raising entrepreneurial children. Learn more about Meg at MegBrunson.com!