A Sightseer's Guide to EngineeringNational Society of Professional EngineersNational Engineer's Week
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Gutzon Borglum planned to sculpt the four presidents on Mount Rushmore from head to waist. The reason the memorial contains only their heads is that Borglum died before completing the sculpture. The granite of the faces is comprised of a mixture of ceramic minerals including quartz and feldspars, making Mt. Rushmore a natural ceramic landmark.


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SOUTH DAKOTA Printable version
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
South Dakota Highway 244
Keystone, SD 57751-0268
605/574-2515, 605/574-2523, or 605/574-3165
Web Site
Take a self- or ranger-guided tour and explore the history, art, and engineering of this sculpture. 
Hours of Operation: Facilities in the memorial have different operating schedules. Call for details. Need a map?
Mount Rushmore memorializes the birth, growth, preservation and development of the U.S. Sculpted 60-foot busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln not only represent the first 150 years of U.S. history but remind us that to create a monument of this magnitude requires engineering and construction know-how. The artist Gutzon Borglum had to employ a variety of mechanical tools and blasting techniques to reach his goal. Each face is 60 feet high and carved with great detail. New visitor facilities include a walking trail and boardwalk that provide spectacular close-up views of the sculpture.
 
Who Made It: Gutzon Borglum
 
Photo Credit: Courtesy Mount Rushmore National Memorial