This epic sculpture links the
faces of four exalted American presidents: George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. South Dakota's Black Hills provide the
back-drop for Mount Rushmore, the world's greatest mountain carving. These 60-foot high
faces,
500-feet up, look out over a setting of pine, spruce, birch, and aspen in the clear
western air.
Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began drilling into the 6,200-foot mountain in 1927.
Creation of the Shrine to Democracy took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million,
though it's now deemed priceless.
Throughout 1998, Mount Rushmore National Memorial celebrated the culmination of
a multi-million dollar public-private partnership project to improve visitor facilities at
the Memorial. Events throughout the year offered the public exciting opportunities to
come enjoy the facilities at Mount Rushmore.
The park installed the Avenue of Flags, leading from the Concession Building to the
Grandview Terrace.
The flags of the 56 states and territories again fly below the Memorial. The Avenue
provides direct and
easy access to the Grandview Terrace and Presidential Trail, offering spectacular views of
the mountain
sculpture.