O ne of America's national treasures, this monument symbolizes how the United States can take themes common in other parts of the world (in this case a frieze) and recreate them in an unprecedented scale. The monument is busts of four American Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. They were chosen to represent the great leaders of the country's first 150 years, and each symbolizes a particular aspect of the country's history: the nation's founding, political philosophy, preservation, and expansion. It took 400 workers 14 years to carve the 60-foot tall sculptures into the granite face of Mount Rushmore. But there is more to this 1,278-acre national park than just the monument. There is also the Sculptor's House, built in 1939 that shows how the monument was made, as well as a number of hiking, walking, and interpretive trails.
On a clear day, the heads are visible for 60 miles.
Mount Rushmore is 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) above sea level.
The busts face northeast toward Rapid City.
Mount Rushmore was designated a National Memorial in 1925 -- two years before construction began.
The idea for the monument came from Jonah Robinson of the South Dakota State Historical Society.
The origin of the name "Mount Rushmore" is not entirely clear. The most popular story is that a New York attorney by the name of Charles E. Rushmore visited the area in 1885 and upon learning that the then-uncarved peak lacked an official name, decided to name it after himself.
Mal Walker
Four stars.