Crazy Horse Memorial

1948 CE - 2026 CE

Begun 1948

Mountain carving

Cultural and Educational Expansion Goals

The memorial's master plan extends beyond the mountain carving to include the Indian Museum of North America and the Indian University of North America. The university, a joint venture with Black Hills State University, has offered summer programs for Native American students since 2011. Supported by endowments like the $5 million donation from Paul and Donna Christen, the foundation has awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships, primarily to Native students in South Dakota, fulfilling Ziolkowski's vision of a broader educational center.

Private Funding and Financial Independence

Since its inception, the project has intentionally avoided federal and state funding, relying instead on private contributions and visitor revenue. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski famously refused government grants, fearing federal involvement would compromise his broader cultural and educational vision. The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation now finances operations through admission fees, gift shop sales, and major private donations, such as the $5 million matching gift from philanthropist T. Denny Sanford to support work on the horse's head.

Standing Bear's Commission and Motivation

Henry Standing Bear, an Oglala Lakota elder, commissioned the memorial to show that 'the red man has great heroes, too.' He initially sought to have Crazy Horse's image added to Mount Rushmore, but sculptor Gutzon Borglum never replied to the proposal. Frustrated by the lack of assistance, Standing Bear eventually recruited Korczak Ziolkowski, offering his own 900 acres of land in exchange for the mountain site to honor the war leader who fought against U.S. government encroachments on Lakota territories.

Native American Opposition and Cultural Concerns

The project faces significant opposition from some Native Americans who view the carving as a desecration of the sacred Black Hills. Critics, including descendants of Crazy Horse's family, argue that Henry Standing Bear did not obtain the necessary tribal consensus before initiating the project. Furthermore, activists like Russell Means and John Fire Lame Deer have described the monument as an insult to the spirit of Crazy Horse, who famously avoided being photographed and was buried in a secret location to prevent such displays.

Geological Composition of Thunderhead Mountain

The monument is carved into Harney Peak leucogranite on Thunderhead Mountain, a Proterozoic plutonic igneous rock dated to approximately 1.715 billion years ago. This peraluminous S-type granite is the same material found at Mount Rushmore and is characterized by a composition of roughly 74.79% SiO2. The site features a mostly undeformed dome containing numerous dikes and sills, with the granite containing minerals such as plagioclase, quartz, muscovite, and accessory tourmaline, beryl, and garnet.

Modern Engineering and Crane Integration

To accelerate the carving process, the foundation integrated advanced machinery, including a $5.2 million Liebherr tower crane assembled on the mountain by the summer of 2025. This crane, shipped on 17 truck beds and weighing 25,000 pounds, allows the crew to remove granite blocks and move equipment in significantly reduced time. The addition of this crane, along with a second planned for 2026, has shifted the focus of construction toward the horse's mane and Crazy Horse's right shoulder.

Construction Origins and Ziolkowski Family Legacy

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began the project on June 3, 1948, after being recruited by Lakota elder Henry Standing Bear. Following Ziolkowski's death in 1982, his widow Ruth took over as CEO, shifting the focus to completing the face first to increase tourism revenue. The project has remained a family endeavor, with seven of the Ziolkowskis' ten children involved in the work. Daughter Monique Ziolkowski later served as CEO and modified plans to ensure the structural support of the outstretched arm.

Structural Modifications and Engineering Reports

To ensure the long-term stability of the massive sculpture, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation commissioned reports from two engineering firms in 2009. These reports guided the project's completion strategy, particularly regarding the horse portion. Monique Ziolkowski, utilizing her skills as a sculptor, modified her father's original plans to provide sufficient support for the weight of the 263-foot-long outstretched arm. This careful planning preceded the commencement of work on the horse after two years of precise measurements.

Geological Composition of Thunderhead Mountain

The monument is carved into Harney Peak leucogranite on Thunderhead Mountain, a Proterozoic plutonic igneous rock dated to approximately 1.715 billion years ago. This peraluminous S-type granite is the same material found at Mount Rushmore and is characterized by a composition of roughly 74.79% SiO2. The site features a mostly undeformed dome containing numerous dikes and sills, with the granite containing minerals such as plagioclase, quartz, muscovite, and accessory tourmaline, beryl, and garnet.

Modern Engineering and Crane Integration

To accelerate the carving process, the foundation integrated advanced machinery, including a $5.2 million Liebherr tower crane assembled on the mountain by the summer of 2025. This crane, shipped on 17 truck beds and weighing 25,000 pounds, allows the crew to remove granite blocks and move equipment in significantly reduced time. The addition of this crane, along with a second planned for 2026, has shifted the focus of construction toward the horse's mane and Crazy Horse's right shoulder.

Construction Timeline and Future Projections

Although Korczak Ziolkowski originally estimated the carving would take 30 years to complete, the project remains unfinished over 75 years after the first blast in 1948. As of 2022, there is no official completion date for the entire monument. However, current estimates suggest that the hand, arm, shoulder, hairline, and the top of the horse's head may be finished by 2037. The left hand was successfully completed by 2024, allowing work to proceed on the backside of the arm.

Mountain carving

Cultural and Educational Expansion Goals

The memorial's master plan extends beyond the mountain carving to include the Indian Museum of North America and the Indian University of North America. The university, a joint venture with Black Hills State University, has offered summer programs for Native American students since 2011. Supported by endowments like the $5 million donation from Paul and Donna Christen, the foundation has awarded over $1.2 million in scholarships, primarily to Native students in South Dakota, fulfilling Ziolkowski's vision of a broader educational center.

Native American Opposition and Cultural Concerns

The project faces significant opposition from some Native Americans who view the carving as a desecration of the sacred Black Hills. Critics, including descendants of Crazy Horse's family, argue that Henry Standing Bear did not obtain the necessary tribal consensus before initiating the project. Furthermore, activists like Russell Means and John Fire Lame Deer have described the monument as an insult to the spirit of Crazy Horse, who famously avoided being photographed and was buried in a secret location to prevent such displays.

Structural Modifications and Engineering Reports

To ensure the long-term stability of the massive sculpture, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation commissioned reports from two engineering firms in 2009. These reports guided the project's completion strategy, particularly regarding the horse portion. Monique Ziolkowski, utilizing her skills as a sculptor, modified her father's original plans to provide sufficient support for the weight of the 263-foot-long outstretched arm. This careful planning preceded the commencement of work on the horse after two years of precise measurements.

Planned Scale and Completed Facial Dimensions

The Crazy Horse Memorial is designed to reach a final length of 641 feet (195 meters) and a height of 563 feet (172 meters). The sculpture's face, which was completed and dedicated in 1998, stands 87 feet 6 inches (26.7 meters) high, significantly larger than the 60-foot-high presidential heads at nearby Mount Rushmore. Other planned features include an outstretched left arm measuring 263 feet long and an extended index finger reaching 29 feet 6 inches in length.