Crazy Horse Memorial

Come visit a sculpture like no other at the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Located between Custer and Hill City, the Crazy Horse Memorial consists of the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, and a work-in-progress statue of the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse which, when completed, will be 641 feet wide and 563 feet high, making it the largest sculpture in the world.

Initiated in 1948, the Crazy Horse Memorial was designed by Korczak Ziolkowski, who had already worked on Mt. Rushmore. In 1939, Ziolkowski received a letter from Chief Henry Standing Bear, reminding him that "the red man has great heroes, too," and inspiring him to construct the Crazy Horse Memorial. Ziolkowski refused federal and state funding, fearing that his plans to make the Crazy Horse Memorial more than just a mountain carving would be left behind, and that he would be unable to make it the broader educational and cultural center he desired.

The Crazy Horse Memorial has grown, and is currently home to the Indian Museum of North America, which includes the largest collection of American Indian artifacts in the country and, in accordance with ZIolkowsi's vision, is set to become the future home of the University and Medical Training Center for the North American Indian. Admission to the site is free for Native Americans, active military personnel, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops in uniform, residents of Custer County, South Dakota, and anybody who donates two cans of food. Bus rides to the foot of the mountain are available for a nominal fee. During the summer there is an outstanding laser-light show, with passes available to visitors who attend the day's tour. Visitors to the Crazy Horse Memorial are invited to eat at the Laughing Water Restaurant, open from May through October, which serves free coffee and authentic Native American food.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is located just off of US Highway 16, just 17 miles southwest of Mount Rushmore. There is no public transportation to the Crazy Horse Memorial, but that shouldn't stop you from hopping in the car to visit this superb commemoration of the American Indian.