October is a Monumental Month

On October 4, 1927, sixteen men began drilling on Mount Rushmore. Their job? To remove the surface rock from the mountain. Their goal? To carve the outer layer of Washington’s head. By the end of November, they had removed the surface rock to the level of George Washington’s eye.

But this was just the start. The work on the mountain continued off and on for 14 years, ending on October 31, 1941. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum had planned to carve the presidents down to their waist, but due to his death and America’s entrance into World War II, work on the mountain had to stop.  

So, Happy 79th birthday, Mount Rushmore . . . and Happy Halloween!
Take a Virtual Tour of Mount Rushmore
This winter, social distance and take a virtual tour of Mount Rushmore National Memorial! This portal is free to the public and features an array of material including an interactive virtual tour of the Memorial, navigable and measurable 3D models and a large collection of videos and photographs. Take a Virtual Tour of Mount Rushmore.