Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
Mount Rushmore offers a variety of excellent interpretive programs, including the following:
- The 30-minute Ranger Walk leaves the Grand View Terrace six times a day in the summer. Join a ranger for a walk along the Presidential Trail to learn why Gutzon Borglum chose the four faces.
- The 15-minute Studio Talk (summer only) at the 1939 Sculptor's Studio examines techniques used by the artist to carve the memorial, as well as the original tools and plaster models employed in its construction.
- A 30-minute program at the amphitheater includes a talk and movie about the memorial, which coincides with its dramatic lighting ceremony. The program begins at 9pm from May through mid-August and at 8pm from mid-August through September. (The sculpture is illuminated nightly for 1-2 hr. year-round.)
- A 13-minute film narrated by noted reporter and South Dakotan Tom Brokaw is shown continuously at the visitor center and museum. Painting a broad overview of the memorial's history, construction, and subjects, the movie gives visitors a greater understanding of the colossal carving.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
