Crazy Horse Memorial

We visited Crazy Horse Memorial during our 2017 Road Trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was so cool being able to see a monument being carved into the mountainside. As we watched the crews, we couldn’t help but wonder, “Is this what it was like for people who watched Mount Rushmore being carved?”

My teenage son quickly pointed out that it looked like they were picking Crazy Horses’ nose!

We took our time going through the museum and learned more about Crazy Horse and Native American Traditions. The museums feature American Indian art and artifacts from tribes across North America and summer visitors get to enjoy visiting with Native American Artisans, watching American Indian dancers perform and learning more through their Thursday lecture series.

In addition to the museums, there is also a massive gift shop (I may have spent way too long in there), a restaurant, bus tours to the bottom & top, as well as blasts and laser shows (which were on our Black Hills bucket list, but they didn’t have a blast while we were there).

Eating at the restaurant was pretty cool. We had an amazing view of the Crazy Horse Memorial! However, service was EXTREMELY slow despite there being hardly any patrons in there.

About Crazy Horse Memorial

History from the Crazy Horse Memorial Website:

The cultures and traditions of the North American Indian, in their sociological, political and economic progression, are in danger of being obliterated. Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota chief, sensing this calamity, conceived the idea of a portrait likeness of the Lakota leader, Crazy Horse, carved out of the lasting granite of his Paha Sapa. To create this memorial he enlisted the sympathies of Korczak Ziolkowski, who already had given much of his time, energy, artistic skill and resources to the initial phases of such a project.

What You Need to Know:

• There is a fee to get in. You can either pay per person or per carload.
• No photography or videography other than for personal use is allowed.
• Blasts only happen during certain times of the year. If you are interested in watching a night blast, make sure to check their schedule before planning your trip.
• Parking is free.