Crazy Horse Memorial

Incredible place. Great story and history. Spend the extra $4 and take the bus tour which gets you much closer to the carving. I saw sheep, goats, deer and several groups of wild turkeys. It was a beautiful day weather wise, which made for a special afternoon. Make sure you allow time for the museum as well. You don't want to miss it! Have fun! 🤠

Even though it's nowhere near finished, I would say this monument is way more impressive than Mt. Rushmore. The interpretation center was very nice, with lots of people who knew a lot about the construction and the history of the monument. It would be nice if there was a bit more about Crazy Horse himself and how he defeated Custer, but that's really my only complaint. Some native speakers put on a hoop dancing show, which was very cool; something I had never seen before. Although this probably wont be finished for another 100 or so years, when it is I'm positive it will be the most impressive memorial in our country!

$12 per person entry fee gets you in but very far away from the monument. Another $4 to take a bus close to the base of the monument with a 15 minute guided tour. Amazing what they are doing, but because this project is self funded by a not for profit, its a bit pricey to see the monument. At least the funds go towards a great cause and you get access to their museum!

I would hope that most people visit the Crazy Horse Memorial before or after they visit Mount Rushmore to allow themselves to see a different perspective (both literally and figuratively) between the Memorials. Entrance fee for my son and I was $24. It was an additional $4 to take a bus to the bottom of the mountain for a slightly closer view (that we did not do). I also read that you could take a van to the arm of the mountain for $125 per person donation but it was never offered to us as an option. You have to remember that this project is privately funded, in fact, the original sculptor turned down two grants offered by the federal government. I would agree with other reviewers that it is difficult to get a good view of Crazy Horse without binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens. I suppose most get spoiled with all the angles and great photos you can get at Mount Rushmore. I found that the 30 minute movie that provided the history of how the memorial came to fruition was the most interesting thing that we did. Some of the Lakota tribe did not want this memorial built because it was being built on sacred ground. The museum is very organized, clean and provides the vision of the memorial and shows items, pictures and artifacts of the Native Americans. There is also live entertainment along with a night laser light show. We weren't able to see either because we were going to Custer State Park. This will be the the largest sculpture and the 8th wonder of the world if and when it is ever completed which will not be in my or my son's lifetime seeing the progress since 1948. I would recommend visiting though just to further educate yourself and family about the history of our nation and how the memorials came to be.

Have to pay just to see the monument itself even if you don't want the museum