South Dakota’s Great Places: Crazy Horse Memorial


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, September 5, 2012

CONTACT: Wanda Goodman, (605) 773-3301, wanda.goodman@travelsd.com

 

South Dakota’s Great Places: Crazy Horse Memorial

 

PIERRE, S.D. – When it comes to Great Places in South Dakota, the world’s largest mountain sculpture cannot go without mention. Crazy Horse Memorial stands as one of South Dakota’s Great Places.

 

Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota chief whose dream was to honor the cultures and heritage of Native Americans, asked sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski* to carve a mountain to the spirit of Crazy Horse, the legendary Lakota warrior and leader.


“My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes also.” These are the exact words that Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote to Ziolkowski in 1939, asking him to carve a mountain sculpture honoring all Native Americans. They dedicated their dream on June 3, 1948; the mission of the mountain has been active and in progress ever since.

 

Korczak, as he preferred to be known, worked on the memorial from May 3, 1947, until his unexpected death on October 20, 1982. His family remains dedicated to the nonprofit humanitarian project, following the dreams of Korczak, who told his wife, Ruth, before he died, “You must work on the mountain – but slowly so you do it right.” Six of their 10 children continue to work with her at the memorial.

 

When completed, the mountain carving in the round will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high. Crazy Horse is located on Crazy Horse Memorial Highway (US 16-385 between Custer and Hill City) near such prominent Black Hills attractions as Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Custer State Park, and visiting the memorial is an important part of a South Dakota vacation itinerary.

Be prepared to be amazed by the size of the sculpture and the vision for its future, as well as by the memorable visitor center. Also on the Crazy Horse campus is the Indian Museum of North America, which was designed by Korczak and boasts a growing extensive collection of Native American art and artifacts.

Visitors to Crazy Horse also can tour Korczak’s studio and home and experience the Native American Educational and Cultural Center, where they may learn about various tribal cultures. All told, a visit to Crazy Horse is certainly more than just a visit to a mountain, and the experience enhances the cultural understanding of all who visit.


Hours of operation, admission fees, and more about Crazy Horse Memorial and the Ziolkowski family can be found at www.crazyhorsememorial.org.

South Dakota’s Great Places weekly press release series is a project of the South Dakota Department of Tourism, designed to highlight places in South Dakotathat are unique to travelers and residents alike. Click on the “South Dakota’s Great Places” link at www.MediaSD.com to access the complete list of articles.

 

* Korczak Ziolkowski (Core-Jock Jewel-Cuff-Ski)

 

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Media Notes:

  • Photo: The Crazy Horse Memorial mountain carving soars to over 6,500 feet elevation in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. The pegmatite granite sculpture in progress will be 641 feet across and 563 feet high when completed. (Photo courtesy of Crazy Horse Memorial)