The main restrooms at the park entrance are under construction until mid-May. There are portable toilets available at the entrance, restrooms in the Carvers' Cafe from 8am-5:30pm daily, and in the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center while park grounds are open
To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is excited to open a new outdoor exhibit focused on Lakota ethnobotany, star knowledge, and sacred sites.
KEYSTONE, SD –– Visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 3rd and July 4th will have the opportunity to experience a variety of educational programs, patriotic tributes, and musical entertainment in celebration of Independence Day. All events are listed below. Specific times and locations are published on the park’s Event Calendar.
On June 14, 2024, Mount Rushmore National Memorial will host a Naturalization Ceremony in honor of Flag Day. The National Park Service, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will welcome more than 150 people from over 60 countries.
Beginning May 24, visitors to the Memorial will have a variety of interpretive programming to choose from to enjoy their visit to this Iconic location. The Visitor Center and Information Center will be open from 8am until 10pm, and the Sculptor Studio will operate from 8am until 8pm through mid-August. The NPS App and Operating Hours webpage are available for visitors to use when planning their trip.
The park will make two changes to the iconic Avenue of Flags in 2024. Utah and Minnesota legislatures have both passed legislation changing their respective state flag designs. The new Utah flag was installed on March 9, while Minnesota's will be installed May 11. Utah’s new flag will centrally feature a beehive. Minnesota’s will have colors representing the shape of the state and the numerous lakes which comprise that state.
The National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visitors in 2023, an increase of over 13 million or 4% over 2022. Mount Rushmore National Memorial saw 2.43 million visitors in 2023.
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed an air tour management plan for Mount Rushmore National Memorial on November 17, 2023. The plan will prohibit commercial air tours over the park and within one-half mile of the boundary of the park to protect the park’s natural and cultural resources, Tribal sacred sites and ceremonial areas, and visitor experience within the ATMP boundary. The plan’s operating parameters will be effective within 180 days from the date of signature.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial will transition to winter hours of operation starting on November 1st. Visitor services will be reduced to accommodate regular seasonal changes in staffing and visitation.
KEYSTONE, SD –– Beginning September 12, visitors may witness climbers repelling and ascending across the sculpture. This is due to an annual re-calibration of specialized equipment that monitors changes in the rock to anticipate damages due to environmental shifts in temperature and erosion. This information has been collected since 1996 through a contract with RESPEC Engineering out of Rapid City, South Dakota. With a three-dimensional map and continual monitoring, park staff can quickly identify any changes in the sculpture and implement any needed remediations.
A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 2,440,449 visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in 2022 spent $385.6 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 5,694 jobs in the local area with a cumulative effect of $551 million in economic output. “People come to Mount Rushmore National Memorial to vacation with their families and friends while learning the history of the park and region,” said Superintendent Wheatley. “We recognize that tourism is a critical driver to the local economy and work closely with our tourism partners to support their initiatives.”
