I have conflicting feelings about Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It was carved on sacred land stolen from indigenous nations. And the men whose likenesses are carved are … complicated.
My husband and I visited Mountain Rushmore in 2016 during a Black Hills roadtrip and were underwhelmed. The nearby Crazy Horse Memorial, which is the indigenous nations’ response to Mount Rushmore, was so much more interesting.
When we visited the Black Hills with our three kids nine years later, we debated whether or not to return to Mount Rushmore.
In the end, we decided the context of Mount Rushmore was necessary for our kids to understand the context of the Crazy Horse Memorial. Plus, we all enjoyed learning about the craftsmanship behind the monument.
Here are our favorite things to do at Mount Rushmore with kids.
Pro tip: Visit Rushmore with kids in the *evening*
We arrived at the monument in the afternoon, and I highly recommend doing it this way. Many of the tour buses left before we arrived. Plus, the summer Evening Lighting Ceremony truly was great.
While Mount Rushmore is a National Park site, it does charge a parking fee that isn’t covered by your National Park Service Interagency pass. However, parking is free for active duty military.
What to do at Mount Rushmore With Kids
Search for your state flag on the Avenue of Flags
Soon after you enter the monument, you come upon the Avenue of Flags.
Flags from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands line the walkway.
Our kids loved spotting the flags from the states where we had lived.
Listen to a talk in the Sculptor’s Studio
The Sculptor’s Studio is where sculptor Gutzon Borglum worked on creating the monument for several years until his death.
During the summer months, rangers hold talks here about the workers, their tools, and the techniques used to create Mount Rushmore. Learning the how of the project certainly made the monument more interesting.
The Sculptor’s Studio closes several hours before the rest of Mount Rushmore. If you visit in the afternoon and evening, I highly recommend heading straight to the studio after you walk down the Avenue of Flags.
Walk the Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore with kids
After the Scupltor’s Studio, we walked back up the stairs to the Grand Avenue, then began the Presidential Trail, walking clockwise.
The Presidential Trail takes you closer to the carving, and the kids laughed at looking up the presidents’ noses.
A note on strollers and accessibility: There are several spots with stairs around Mount Rushmore, including 422 stairs on the Presidential Trail. If you have littles, bring a baby carrier or hiking backpack instead of a stroller.
Get Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream
The first known American recipe for ice cream came from Thomas Jefferson, who likely helped popularize the frozen treat in the States.
Mount Rushmore’s cafe serves vanilla ice cream inspired by his recipe. We ate dinner at the cafe too while we waited for the evening ceremony. It was standard burger, chicken strips, and fries fare that the kids enjoyed.
Explore the Visitor Center & become a Junior Ranger
After eating, we headed to the visitor center to explore and for the kids to become Mount Rushmore Junior Rangers. Always a good time.
Enjoy the Evening Lighting Ceremony at Mount Rushmore with kids
Every night in summer, Mount Rushmore hosts the Evening Lighting Ceremony. A ranger gives a talk, there’s a movie about some of the presidents on the memorial, and then the carving is illuminated.
Veterans and active duty service members are invited onto the stage while the U.S. flag is lowered.
I went into the ceremony a bit skeptical and worried it would be very … rah rah.
Instead, the ranger who spoke (Quincy) gave an amazing speech that reignited my hope in our country and its ability to change for the better.
Bonus: Visit Crazy Horse Memorial
You can’t visit Rushmore without also visiting the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial.
The memorial is the response to Rushmore by the indigenous people who consider the Black Hills sacred.
It’s the latest mountain carving in progress in the world!
It started more than 70 years ago, but unlike Mount Rushmore, it has used no federal funds.
My husband and I visited Crazy Horse Memorial in 2016. When we returned in 2025, it was neat to see the difference in the monument over the decade.
Yes, the work is slow. But with no federal money, it’s an impressive feat!
Crazy Horse was an Oglala Lakota leader and warrior who fought to protect indigenous land and culture. He was killed in 1877, after the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
More than 50 years after Crazy Horse’s death, Chief Henry Standing Bear and other Lakota leaders initiated the plan to create a Crazy Horse memorial in the Black Hills.
“I want the White Man to know that the Indigenous People have great heroes too,” Standing Bear said.
The memorial is so much more than just the carving.
It also includes a must-see film, extensive museums, and frequent cultural programming.
The Indian Museum of North America features art and artifacts from more than 300 Native Nations. The Ziolkowski Family Life Museum features the Sculptor’s Studio and the home of the Ziolkowski family.
Korczak Ziolkowski worked on Mount Rushmore, then dedicated the rest of his life to the Crazy Horse Memorial. His family continues that legacy today.
Plan to spend several hours exploring the Crazy Horse Memorial with kids.
There’s a restaurant too. We love the Native American Taco with fry bread.
Where to stay near Crazy Horse & Rushmore with kids
If you’re visiting several sites in the Black Hills, Rapid City makes a great base camp.
Rapid City is only about one hour from Badlands National Park, one hour from Wind Cave National Park, one hour from our favorite sites in Custer State Park, and 45 minutes from Mount Rushmore.
The last time we visited the Black Hills with kids, we split our lodging.
For first few nights, we stayed at the Residence Inn at WaTiki Water Park in Rapid City.
It was our first waterpark experience, and the kids LOVED it!
The indoor waterpark was perfect for hot South Dakota afternoons. Plus, free breakfast and having a full kitchen was amazing.
The last several nights, we stayed in Custer State Park.
If you’re looking for something a little quieter and closer to nature, Custer State Park offers a multitude of lodging options among the lakes, forests, and granite.
We stayed at Legion Lake Lodge in a cabin. It was a lovely spot, with boulders to climb on, a playground, and small beach area.
Explore more of the Black Hills with kids
The Black Hills with kids is an amazing adventure.
In addition to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, you can’t miss Wind Cave National Park, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, and Devils Tower National Monument.
And just a few hours away is Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota — another epic national park full of badlands, bison, and history.