Crazy Horse Memorial

Started in 1948, Crazy Horse Memorial is the world's largest mountain carving in progress — and unlike its famous neighbor Mount Rushmore, it is entirely privately funded through admission and donations. When complete, the carving of the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse will stand 563 feet high and 641 feet long, dwarfing every other mountain sculpture on Earth. The memorial honors Crazy Horse — known in Lakota as Tasunke Witco — born in 1840 along Rapid Creek and celebrated as one of the most fearless defenders of Native American culture, territory, and life. Chief Henry Standing Bear commissioned sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to begin the work, and the Ziolkowski family continues it today. On-site, visitors can explore three museums, the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Cultural Center, a sculptor's studio, orientation films, and cultural events. A bus to the mountain base runs daily for $5 per person, giving a dramatically closer view. The memorial is also home to the Indian University of North America.