Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
The Crazy Horse Memorial is an enormous mountain sculpture dedicated to Crazy Horse, war chief of the Oglala Lakota, who fought at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. He is the revered ancestor of the Lakota Sioux and when Mount Rushmore was in progress, the elders petitioned the government to include Crazy Horse’s image along with Washington and Lincoln. This request was ignored.
Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, approached Korczak Ziolkowski (who had worked on Mount Rushmore) with the idea for a Crazy Horse monument. After spending three weeks with Standing Bear, learning the Lakota way of life, Ziolkowski was persuaded. He designed the massive sculpture, making it his life’s work and refusing any federal funding.
After Ziolkowski’s death in 1982, his wife Ruth took over as CEO of the non-profit organization. She re-prioritized finishing the statue’s face first in order to attract more tourists and provide funding for the work. After Ruth’s death, a daughter took over and today the work continues under the supervision of several of Ziolkowski’s children and grandchildren.
We enjoyed touring the museum and seeing up close the work that has been in progress for over 70 years and three generations. When finished, the Crazy Horse Memorial will be the second tallest sculpture in the world. The face is 87 feet as compared to the 60 foot presidents on Mount Rushmore.
Location: 12151 Ave of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, SD 57730
Designation: Memorial Sculpture
Date designated or established: June 3, 1948
Date of my visit: 7/29/2009
You Tube video of Crazy Horse Memorial courtesy of Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association
We saw it roughly 25 or more years ago and again in 2018. It is a wonderful dream, but on wonders if babies being born today will see it completed.
80 years and all they have is the face…I think another century should do it. Still, one has to appreciate the journey…
It is a great site to see.
It is 💛
Truly an awe inspiring project to see.
Yes🧡🤎
I look forward to seeing the final version on my 173rd birthday.
Lol, maybe our great great grandchildren will see it…
It’s an ambitious project. One does wonder if it will ever be completed. I saw it in 2015, but didn’t stop at the museum. Maybe next time!
It sure is 🧡🤎
I have always wanted to see that. Looks pretty cool.
It is 🧡🤎
An interesting counterpoint to Mount Rushmore, US history/heroes from a different viewpoint. We visited more than 20 years ago and were inspired by this monumental piece of artwork. Pity we’ll not live to see it completed.
Yes, I think it still is generations away from completion, but still an impressive achievement in its current state
It’s so fascinating !!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading and commenting 😊
My pleasure 😊
We visited years ago before much work was done on the face. So glad the work continues. It is a fitting monument to the contributions native Americans have made to this country.
Yes, it’s such a hopeful place 🧡
Truly impressive, even if done at a snail’s pace.
I agree 😊
Mount Rushmore is amazing to see, the image, but the character of the Indian Chief will surpass anything those five men achieved, perhaps Jeff Bezos will give the project a push, amen
I think the family prefers to keep it in the family…I thought I read something about them refusing any federal funding. Maybe Bezos, though…
In these times people need reminders of the wisdom they destroyed, and the reminder to not do it again, times are critical now everywhere,amen
Yes
Pingback: Mount Rushmore National Memorial - National Parks With T