Crazy Horse Memorial Celebrates 70 Years
This year marks 70 years since the first blast on the mountain at Crazy Horse Memorial, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
As the world’s largest mountain carving in progress, Crazy Horse outshines in size the nearby iconic Mount Rushmore, standing 563 feet high and 641 feet long. The horse’s head alone, when completed, will be taller than the Statue of Liberty from base to torch. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski started work on the mountain in 1948 as a tribute to Native Americans, depicting the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse riding a horse and pointing into the distance.
To commemorate the anniversary, visitors can partake in the following activities:
- Explore the Indian Museum of North America®, which is located on the memorial grounds and features art and artifacts from tribes across the continent.
- On June 2-3, 2018 (the anniversary date of the first blast), participate in the Spring Volksmarch, trekking 6.2 miles up the memorial to stand face-to-face with the head of Crazy Horse.
- Continue to learn about Lakota culture throughout the region with hikes to the sacred Bear Butte State Park and visits to The Journey Museum’s interactive exhibits.
- Participate in a local tour on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to pay your respects at Wounded Knee and enjoy a home-cooked traditional meal in Bette’s Kitchen, set in the home of a descendent of Nicolas Black Elk, warrior of the Oglala Lakota tribe.
