Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse, SD isn't an actual town. It's essentially a mailing address tied to the memorial itself. The closest real communities are Custer, about four miles to the south, and Hill City, roughly 15 miles to the north. Both offer lodging, restaurants, and shops.

Most visitors find Custer or Hill City to be ideal bases, as they're also well-positioned for other Black Hills attractions like Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore. Rapid City, the region's largest city, is about 25 miles away and offers the widest range of accommodations, though it means a bit more driving each day.

No completion date has been set. Regular construction updates are available through the Crazy Horse Memorial website, but progress on the site is slow, in part because the weather of the western Great Plains limits the times of year in which outside work can be done. Work has been ongoing since 1948 and continues today, carried on by the Ziolkowski family.

Fees are roughly $15 per person but decrease with more people in the car and level off at 3 people. Consult their website for updated fee structures. There's no parking fee, nor are there any fees to get into the museum and exhibits. Free admission is extended to children under 6, Native Americans, military personnel with active-duty ID, Girl and Boy Scout troops in uniform, and Custer County, SD residents.

Rising over 563 feet high, Crazy Horse Memorial dwarfs the carved portraits of Mount Rushmore by nearly 10 times and is set to become one of the tallest monuments in the world once completed. The two landmarks are also close neighbors. Crazy Horse Memorial is located 17 miles southwest of Mt. Rushmore.

No. Ongoing memorial construction and facilities operation is dependent upon admission fees and generous individual donations. Crazy Horse Memorial receives no federal or state funding. This was a deliberate decision by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who felt that federal involvement could compromise the broader educational and cultural goals of the project.

Quite a bit. The museum and exhibits cover Native American history and culture from over 300 Native Nations, and the site includes two theaters and a gift shop. Visitors can also join the Volksmarch, a trek to Crazy Horse's outstretched arm, held twice per year on the first Sunday in June and the Sunday after the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in September. There's also a bus tour to the base of the mountain for a closer look for an additional fee.