Nestled in the western end of the Black Hills in South Dakota just off of Highway 385 is the amazing Crazy Horse Memorial. It began in 1947 when the Oglala Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to carve a memorial in the ancient mountains to honor the North American Indians. The memorial is open year round and it is quite the amazing sight to see.

The sculpture, when finished in 2037 (it’s “anticipated” finished date; Korczak originally assumed it would take 30 years), will be the second largest in the world and you can feel it when you’re beneath the pointing finger and future horses head. A smaller sculpture of the finished one is at the educational/cultural/welcome center, which will one day be a satellite campus for the University of South Dakota.

Crazy Horse was a significant and brave Sioux warrior who defeated General George Custer. Unfortunately he would be killed while in American custody after surrendering. The events surrounding his death are still debated today.

When you’re there, you can take a bus tour to the base of it, which I recommend. I did the tour back in 2019 and the driver was funny and knowledgeable. He’ll even take your picture for you!

There’s also a nice little museum with information and pictures, a gift shop, and a restaurant; the Laughing Water Restaurant which features Tatanka (Bison) Stew. From their website: “THE INDIAN MUSEUM OF NORTH AMERICA is home to a large collection of art and artifacts reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of over 300 Native Nations. The Museum, designed to complement the story being told in stone on the Mountain, presents the lives of American Indians and preserves Native Culture for future generations.”

They charge by the amount of people in a vehicle.