Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills

The Black Hills of South Dakota has a number of attractions, one of the most popular being Mount Rushmore in Keystone. But only 17 miles away is another monument that has been in the works since 1948. The Crazy Horse Memorial - depicting Native American war leader Crazy Horse of the Oglala Lakota tribe riding a horse and pointing into the distance – is being created to honor the culture, tradition and living heritage of North American Indians.

Self-taught sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear started the endeavor together. This monument, like the four presidents, is also carved in a mountainside but will be much greater in size. Korczak passed away in 1982. In fact, October 20th is the annual Korczak Remembrance Day. Crazy Horse Memorial visitors can pay their respects at sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski’s tomb entrance. Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m guests can walk from the Memorial’s Welcome Center to the Sculptor’s Tomb which is located near the foot of the mountain carving. Unfortunately, Korczak didn’t get to see his work completed and it still isn’t anywhere near completion. But despite Korczak’s death, the Ziolkowski family continues to work on the project today.

In addition to the finished monument, the property’s campus — which includes a Native American Educational and Cultural Center — will continue to expand and improve. The biggest issue the project faces is funding. The Ziolkoski family has rejected Federal funding opportunities and instead continues to rely on visitor entry fees, donations and an annual Harley-Davidson motorcycle raffle.

The reason funding has been rejected is that the Ziolkoski family wishes to stay in control of the project to ensure it original plans stay intact. This is a mock-up of what the finalized project will look like upon completion:

After paying the entrance fee ($10/adult or $27/carload), there is ample parking at the visitor’s center. Once inside there’s a number of things to see and do. We meandered into the theater, which I recommend doing first, to learn about the history and future plans of the memorial. Next, shop at the number of vendors offering local arts, crafts, jewelry and other goods or explore the Indian Museum of North America which offers insight into the history and cultural of the American Indian people thought their extensive collection of art and artifacts. Korczak designed the museum and, along with his family, built it during 1972-73 when the inclement weather  made work on the mountain impossible. Rides to the foot of the mountain are $4 per person.

Outside is a viewing deck of the moment along with space for the children to run around and play in a tee-pee.

This statue of the completed version also sits outside. You can see the monuments face in the lower right-hand corner.

Our visit to South Dakota’s Crazy Horse was interesting and offered great insight into the people who have called this land home for so many generations. The pride of the American Indians is apparent and I do hope that the funding situation vastly improves. The finished project will be most impressive.