Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved into the granite rock face of a mountain in South Dakota. It features the heads of four U.S. Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Each head stands about 60 feet tall, representing the foundation, expansion, development, and preservation of the nation.
Imagine a mountain so huge that four U.S. Presidents are carved right into its rock face! What an amazing sight!
Welcome to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a gigantic sculpture tucked away in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. It is often called the Shrine of Democracy because it honors four presidents who helped shape the United States. These incredible, massive heads were carved out of granite rock over 14 years, starting in 1927 and finishing in 1941. This amazing artwork was designed by a sculptor named Gutzon Borglum and stands on a mountain that is 5,725 feet above sea level!
Finn says:
"Whoa! Carving an entire president's head is hard enough, but doing four of them into a giant mountain? That sounds like the biggest, craziest art project ever! I wonder how they even reached the top each day!"
What Are the Four Presidents on Mount Rushmore?
Four very important U.S. Presidents were chosen to be carved into the mountain. Each one represents a major part of American history. Think of it like a giant timeline carved into stone!
The presidents are carved from left to right: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. They were chosen because they represent the nation's foundation, expansion, development, and preservation.
George Washington represents the founding of the country. Thomas Jefferson is there for the expansion of the U.S., like when the country got much bigger! Theodore Roosevelt is there for the development of the nation, and Abraham Lincoln is there for helping to preserve the country during a very tough time.
Mind-Blowing Fact!
The idea for Mount Rushmore actually came from a South Dakota historian named Doane Robinson! He first wanted to carve heroes of the American West, like explorers, but the sculptor, Borglum, convinced him that presidents would be a better symbol for the whole country.
How Big Are These Giant Rock Faces?
These carvings are HUGE! Calling them big is an understatement. They are taller than most buildings you see every day. This is the main reason they are so famous for kids and adults alike!
Each president’s head is about 60 feet tall! That's as tall as a six-story building! To help you imagine that, look at some of the sizes of their features:
(18 meters)
(Almost $1 Million!)
How Did They Carve Mount Rushmore?
Carving a mountain takes a lot more than just a hammer and chisel! The workers used amazing and sometimes dangerous techniques to slowly chip away the granite. The entire project was an incredible feat of engineering for kids to learn about!
Here is a quick look at how they blasted and sculpted the mountain:
1. Dynamite Blasting
The workers used dynamite to blast away the rock! About 90% of the carving was done this way, getting rid of huge chunks of granite that weren't needed for the faces.
2. Honeycombing and Drilling
After the big blasts, workers had to carefully remove the rest. They used a process called 'honeycombing' where they drilled lots of small holes close together to chip away smaller pieces by hand.
3. Tiny Details
The very last part of the work was done by hand using jackhammers and smaller tools to get the details just right, like the eyes and mouths. The sculptor's son, Lincoln Borglum, took over to finish the final details after his father passed away in 1941.
💡 Did You Know?
Even though nearly 400 workers were hanging from steel cables over a 500-foot cliff face, amazingly, not a single worker was killed during the 14 years of construction! That's an incredible safety record for such a dangerous job.
🎯 Quick Quiz!
Which president was added to Mount Rushmore last, representing the development of the U.S.?
Who Came Up With the Idea and Why Did It Stop?
The first spark of the idea came from Doane Robinson to boost tourism in South Dakota. However, the sculptor, Borglum, decided on the four presidents because he wanted to create a monument that showed the meaning of America itself.
The carving officially stopped on October 31, 1941. The main reason was a shortage of money, especially because the project took place during the Great Depression. The original plan was actually to carve the presidents all the way down to their waists, but they ran out of funds before they could do more than the heads (except Washington, whose carving goes slightly below his chin).
- The mountain is made of very strong granite rock.
- The sculpture is expected to erode by only one inch every 10,000 years!
- There is a secret room behind Lincoln’s head called the Hall of Records that holds important American documents like the Declaration of Independence.
- More than two million people visit this amazing memorial park every year!
Mount Rushmore is more than just giant rocks; it’s a symbol of freedom and democracy carved by dedicated workers over 14 years. It’s a fantastic piece of history you can see carved into the mountainside in South Dakota!
Questions Kids Ask About American History
Keep Exploring American Heroes!
We hope you learned some super cool facts about the giant faces at Mount Rushmore! History is full of amazing feats of engineering and art. What other massive monuments can you find out about next?
