Under perpetual, never-ending construction, Crazy Horse Memorial in western South Dakota is an… interesting place. While the completed portions – the face, arm, and hand – are undoubtedly impressive, the overall vision for the memorial, depicting Crazy Horse riding a horse and pointing towards his tribal land, is far from complete. To put the slow progress into some perspective, construction began in 1948, and it took 50 years just to finish the 87 foot, 6 inch face, which was completed in 1998. In the 26 years since, only half an arm and one hand have been added. The memorial will *allegedly* be complete in 2037 – nearly 100 years after construction first began (89 to be exact).
Carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacred by the Oglala Lakota, Crazy Horse Memorial is located at 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, SD 57730, about 20 minutes from Mount Rushmore and 45 minutes from Rapid City. The memorial is open year-round, with the Welcome Center, gift shop, and Indian Museum of North America operating from 8am to 6pm, and the Educational and Cultural Center from 9am to 5pm. Bus rides to the base of the mountain operate daily on a call schedule depending on visitor numbers and cost $5 per person. Entrance to the memorial is $15 per car. For those wanting to see Crazy Horse’s face up close and personal, van rides to the top of the mountain are available daily for the economically savvy price of $125 per person.
As the name implies, the memorial is being built to honor the Native American legend Crazy Horse, a war leader of the Oglala Lakota. Known for his fearlessness in standing up to the U.S. Federal Government, he fought against infringements on Lakota land and their way of life. His most famous battle was the Battle of Little Bighorn in June of 1876. Although he ultimately surrendered to U.S. troops in 1877 after being fatally wounded by a military guard while *allegedly* resisting imprisonment, he remains one of the most notable, iconic, and respected Native American warriors of history’s past.
Truth be told… out of the 8 places we visited during our four-day road trip through eastern Wyoming and western South Dakota, Crazy Horse Memorial ranks at the very bottom of my list 😬. I was much less impressed with it than any of the other locations, including Mount Rushmore National Memorial., the only other site semi-comparable to Crazy Horse. The experience left me feeling underwhelmed and blasé. It felt like more of a money grab than anything else. I was surprised to learn that the bus did not take you to the top of the memorial, as I thought it would; instead, costing $125 per person for that privilege (so don’t be uninformed like me!). Even the bus ride “to the base” felt misleading, as it didn’t really go near the base but merely provided a different vantage point to see the memorial from a distance. You can get a similar view from the parking lot, albeit from a different angle.
Aside from the memorial, which you can view from below in about five minutes before wondering, “Okay… now what?”, there is the Welcome Center, which includes the gift shop and museum, as well as the Educational and Cultural Center. These attractions are located close to each other in large buildings just a stone’s throw from the parking lot. We visited the Welcome Center, making our way through the museum to the gift shop at the back. The museum was sparsely filled with various Native American artifacts, including a canoe, tipi, carvings, paintings, ceremonial masks, etc. While we were there, a Native American dancer was performing in the courtyard.
Overall, this blog is not intended as an insult to Crazy Horse, his memorial, or the Lakota, but simply a truthful representation of our personal experience. It’s also meant to inform others so they do not go with misconceptions, like me. And based on conversations with others who have also visited the memorial, I am not alone in my opinion. While I understand the need for funds to continue building – hence the shockingly steep price for a trip to the top – it’s still off putting. If you’re not willing to shell out $125 per person, for the price of admission (plus the extra fee to ride the bus), all you’re left with is a view of the memorial from 0.2 miles away. While I’m glad we visited, as I would have regretted not going and wondering what was missed, I fear it’s a “one and done”. I’d love to revisit the Black Hills of South Dakota one day, so perhaps I’ll go back when it’s supposed to be complete – by which time I’ll be almost 50. 🙃
