Happy President’s Day from the Alvarez Family! Our visit to Mount Rushmore was an epic adventure! There was so much to take in and explore which definitely exceeded our expectations. The 60-foot-high sculpted faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved onto a mountain’s granite face and took approximately 400 men and 14 years to build. As we explored, we also learned so much about the area. The mountains belong to the sacred Black Hills in Keystone, South Dakota which have such deep-rooted history.
Mount Rushmore is a wonderful place for kids and adults alike. There’s so much to do, it’s no wonder why nearly 3 million people visit per year.
Starting with the obvious, which is viewing the majestic sculptures of the Presidents. They look so realistic and the details are exquisite.
Walking down the Avenue of Flags you start to feel the intensity of how massive and overwhelming the sculptures are. It’s a patriotic feeling that you get walking down the avenue surrounded by 56 US state and territory flags. The kids started playing a game listing how many states they’ve visited which made it fun for them while we stood in awe and took it all in.
We also visited the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and viewed exhibits and a short video about how and why they carved Mount Rushmore.
We walked the Presidential Trail which is about 1/2 a mile and loads of stairs (over 400) to get a closer look of the mountain sculpture. There we got a closer view and saw how they accomplished such a realistic look on the sculptures. The trail offered a great deal of wildlife, with a variety of animals walking around, which is always such a treat for the kids!
We loved visiting The Lakota, Nakota and Dakota Heritage Village which educates visitors about the history of the Black Hills and the American Indian tribes who populated the land for thousands of years. They highlight the customs and traditions of local American Indian communities.
They offer events mostly during peak seasons including an evening lighting ceremony. They have a big gift shop and a café which we spent lots of time in shopping and eating.
Since this is a National Park, they offer ranger led programs. My kids love those, since they award the kids ranger badges upon completing their missions! If you aren’t able make it out to a National Park, kids can also become a WebRanger online! It’s a fun way to get kids to learn, I highly recommend it!
Overall, Mount Rushmore was a great combination of adventure, history, sightseeing, artistry and nature!
