The Shrine of Democracy

We lived in the Black Hills much of our adult lives. During that time, we frequently made the drive to Mt. Rushmore, the most well-known attraction in the Black Hills. It is always awe-inspiring. Since it's been a couple years since our last visit, we decided to spend an afternoon there.

One of the new features we hadn't seen before is the museum below the first viewing area - it is beautifully done, with displays, tools, newspaper articles, and two theaters.


We took the walkway down to the bass of the monument and around to the Scupltor's Studio. I was not a fan of the changes that occurred to the grounds back in the 90s, changing the feel of the park from rustic to what I considered "Washington D.C. monument"... but, having been away for a few years, it is very impressive, coming up to the monument through the columns and the state flags. My favorite part is the walkway, though; the access is much better, with frequent stops along the way to view the monument from below...




We even saw one of the elusive mountain goats scrambling across the rocks.

It is a real testament to the aspirations of Gutson Borglum and the many workers who made this huge undertaking happen. Yep, awe-inspiring, no matter how many times we've seen it.