Things to Do in South Dakota
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in the southwestern part of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor that designed the 60-foot-tall granite sculpture of the four presidents. From 1927 – 1941 there were 400 men and women working on the sculpture. Dynamite was used to carve 90% of the mountain. The remaining work was done by drilling holes close together in a honeycomb to weaken the granite so the carvers would use hand facers and bumper tools to even out the granite and create a smooth surface.
The four presidents in the memorial were chosen to represent important events in U.S. history. George Washington was father of the country and laid the foundation of American democracy. Thomas Jefferson represented the growth of the United States. Abraham Lincoln represented the preservation of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt represent the development of the United States.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of the places that represents America and what it stands for. From the simply elegant Avenue of Flags with all the state flags waving in the breeze. To the Grand Viewing Terrace on top of the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Cente,r a visit to Mount Rushmore is truly an American Treasure. https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm
Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial is located in the southwestern part of South Dakota’s Black Hills. The 6,532-foot pegmatite granite mountain was selected by Korczak Ziolkowski and Chief Henry Standing Bear as the site for the massive sculpture to be carved. Korczak arrived in the Black Hills on May 3, 1947 and continued to work on the project until his death on October 20, 1982.
“The Mission of Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition and living heritage of the North American Indians. The Foundation demonstrates its commitment to this endeavor by following these objectives:
- Continuing the progress on the world’s largest sculptural undertaking by carving a Memorial of Lakota leader Crazy Horse;
- Providing educational and cultural programming to encourage harmony and reconciliation among all people and nations;
- Acting as a repository for Native American artifacts, arts and crafts through the INDIAN MUSEUM OF NORTH AMERICA® and the NATIVE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL CENTER®;
- Establishing and operating the INDIAN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA®, and when practical, a medical training center for American Indians.” https://crazyhorsememorial.org/
Chief Henry Standing Bear was the Native American elder that saw the need for a memorial to honor the living heritage of the North American Indians. To that end, Chief Standing Bear enlisted the help of Korczak Ziolkowskie, an award-winning sculpture to bring the memorial to life. Korczak arrived at Thunderhead Mountain to start the project that he would spend the next 36 years working on.
Chief Crazy Horse the Lakota warrior was chosen as the subject for the memorial because of how he defended his people and their way of life. In 1876, he and his Lakota warriors fought against Custer’s Seventh U.S. Cavalry in the battle of the Little Bit Horn and won. Than in 1877 under a flag of truce Crazy Horse was killed at Fort Robinson.
The mountain sculpture is the world’s largest with the face of Crazy Horse being 87.5 feet tall and the horse’s head being 219 feet tall. The memorial is more than the sculpture alone.
Planned Mountain Dimensions – geology of rock could be responsible for adjustments.
- Entire Carving – 641 feet long
- Entire Carving – 563 feet high
- Crazy Horse’s Face – 87 feet, 6 inches (completed June 3, 1998)
- Outstretched Arm – 263 feet
- Opening under arm – 70 feet wide and 100 feet high
- Hand – 25 feet high
- Finger – 29 1/2 feet long
- Horse’s Head – 219 feet high (22 stories)
- Horse’s Mane – 62 feet high
- Horse’s Ears – 54 feet long
- Horse’s Eyes – 20 feet wide; 15 feet high
- Horse’s Nostrils – 26-foot diameter
There is a large collection of Native American artifact in the museum. There is the sculptures studio and Native American cultural center. The privately funded Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation has created a place that not only honors the Native American people but also is a testament to the drive and perseverance of these truly visionary men.
Corn Palace
The world’s only Corn Palace is located in downtown Mitchell, SD. Since 1892 there has been three versions of the Corn Palace built to serve as a representation of the South Dakota’s healthy agricultural climate. The building serves as a gathering place for residents and is used to celebrate the harvest.
Every year the exterior murals are redesigned with a new theme. The murals are decorated with 13 different naturally colored corn as well as grains and native grasses to reflect that year’s theme.
The interior corn murals are never changed and tell the story of how the white man and Native Americans came to coexist on the plains of South Dakota. Not being from an agricultural background I had no idea what to expect before I went to the Corn Place. This one building was a unique combination of auditorium, art gallery and child discovery center. The Corn Palace is a place you never thought you would go to but once you have you are glad you experienced it. http://www.cornpalace.com/
Dakota Discovery Museum Mitchell, South Dakota
The Dakota Discovery Museum mission is to “preserve the past and inform the present by uniquely combining art and artifact to tell the story of this region in a manner that contributes to building the future of the people of the Dakotas.” This museum combines a history gallery, an art gallery, and a historic village into a comprehensive picture of life in the Dakotas.
The history gallery is full of displays that chronicle the history of the Dakotas from the Plains Indians to the 1930’s and the Great Depression.
There are three art Galleries that display art from Charles Hargens Jr. Oscar Howe and other displays of Great Plains art.
The historic village contains buildings such as the Dimock Railway Depot, the Farwell Methodist Church, the Sheldon Country School and the Beckwith House. All of these buildings have been moved to the property to preserve them. The Beckwith House is on the National Register of Historic Places and was once the home to one of the co-founders of the Corn Palace. The Dakota Discovery Museum does a great job of presenting all aspects of life on the plains of the Dakotas. https://www.dakotadiscovery.com/
Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society is located in De Smet, SD. Aubrey Sherwood, Alice Kirchmeier, and Vera MCCaskell formed the society in 1957 to honor their friend Laura Ingalls Wilder. Since that time, they have been collecting Ingalls’ family belongings. With additional funding and support the organization acquired the Surveryors’ House, the House that Pa built and the first school that Laura attended.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in Wisconsin on February 7, 1867 and died in Missouri on February 10, 1957. The Little House books written by her chronicle the life and struggles of the Ingalls family as they try to make a home for themselves as homesteaders on the frontier. It wasn’t until 1932 that the first book “Little House in the Big Woods” was published.
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the grounds and buildings owned by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society. The tour guide was very informative and the collection of items and building served to further transport you into Laura Ingalls Wilders life. http://www.discoverlaura.org/welcome.html
Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village
The Prehistoric Indian Village was discovered in 1910 by a student from Dakota Wesleyan University. It wasn’t until 1975 that the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village Preservation Society was formed. That same year the site was listed as a National Historic Landmark. The mission of the society is to “promote an understanding of the first people to inhabit in this region by developing, preserving and exhibiting a significant collection and archaeological site; by taking a leadership role in research and scholarship; by engaging and providing access for audiences from all nations; and by delivering innovative programs of benefit to the general public and community.” http://www.mitchellindianvillage.org/
The excavation that takes place in the Thomsen Center Archeodome have allowed researcher to learn about the people that lived in the area 1,100 years ago. They have found evidence of bison hunting, farming and earthen lodges built on a bluff overlooking the creek. It is believed that the people left the area once they no longer could find enough natural resources to sustain life in area. This active archaeological site was informative and served to show that basic human needs have not changed over time.
George and Eleanor McGovern Library
On the campus of Dakota Wesleyan University, the George and Eleanor McGovern Library was built in 2006. The building houses an exhibit that chronicles George and Eleanor McGovern’s’ lives from childhood through their years in public office. They both attended Dakota Wesleyan University and later George became a history professor. By 1956 George was elected to U.S. House of Representatives and in 1962 he was elected to U.S. Senate. In 1972, he was the Democratic Party’s’ presidential nominee against Richard Nixon. It was interesting to learn about a man that dedicated his life to benefiting others throughout his political career. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McGovern https://www.librarything.com/venue/6098/George-and-Eleanor-McGovern-Library-Dakota-Wesleyan-University