About the Society

Since 1930, the Mount Rushmore Society has been dedicated to the preservation, promotion and enhancement of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the values it represents through a partnership with the National Park Service. We are one of the nation’s largest and oldest National Park Service friends organizations, raising millions for facility improvements, programs, projects and promotional events through donations, a membership program and retail sales.

Some of the ways we have supported the park over the years include:

• Serving as the first gift shop concessionaire in the 1940s.
• Embarking on a nationwide Preservation Fund campaign in the 1980s, which raised $25 million and spurred a total of $56 million in facility improvements.
• Funding the redevelopment at Mount Rushmore in the 1990s, which included a $17 million parking facility operated by the Society for 20 years.
• Creating the Independence Day Celebration fireworks display viewed by millions via satellite from 1998-2009.
• Raising $200,000 for the rehabilitation of the Blackberry Trail.
• Raising $325,000 for construction of the Youth Exploration Area.
• Donating $500,000 for sculpture preservation.
• Supporting the Junior Ranger Program.
• Investing $90,000 to develop the Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Tour.
• Providing $125,000/year to supply seasonal rangers to give educational and cultural programs to tell All Stories of Mount Rushmore.
• Funding the Kay Jorgensen Interpretive Internship Program, in which interns are given the opportunity to work closely with full-time interpretive staff at the park. The program provides a stipend, housing and transportation for each intern.

You can be a part of our mission by becoming a member of our organization.