Crazy Horse Memorial Part 2
Siva McAteer • January 30, 2026
Crazy Horse Memorial Part 2
π “Would you believe me if I told you this mountain has had over ELEVEN MILLION tons of rock blasted away… and it’s still not finished? Let me show you why this $5 tour is one of the best travel deals in America.”
Welcome to Part 2 of our Crazy Horse Memorial adventure — and today we’re hopping on the guided bus tour that takes you right up to the mountain itself.
For just five dollars per person, this ride gets you shockingly close to the carving-in-progress — and trust me… hearing the story while standing beneath it hits completely different.
Our guide, Allen, shared how this all began back in 1947, when sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski arrived in the Black Hills from Connecticut… to a place with no roads, no water, no electricity. He literally lived in a tent for seven months before clearing trees and building a log studio by hand.
By the late 1950s, with ten kids to raise, the family even opened a dairy farm right on site — and today they still raise cattle here.
Oh — and the very first admission to Crazy Horse in 1950?
π Just 50 cents per carload.
As we rolled closer, we passed their old equipment “boneyard,” where they still salvage parts from retired vehicles because — according to our guide — it’s faster than finding them on eBay. π
Now THIS blew my mind…
See that tunnel under the arm? Korczak started carving that in 1967, and it took him two and a half years. Today it’s about four stories tall and wide enough to park two bulldozers end-to-end — all so crews can move equipment through the mountain to reach better granite.
And that massive hand?
π 29½ feet long.
π The thumbnail alone is six by eight feet.
There are about 16 to 20 full-time workers on the mountain, many from mining backgrounds, using heavy equipment that only operates when temperatures hit 15 degrees or warmer — yes… carving a mountain is seasonal work.
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Chief Standing Bear and Lakota elders insisted this monument be built right here in the Black Hills, even though Korczak worried about being in the shadow of Mount Rushmore. He dedicated the rest of his life to this project… and so far, they’ve removed between nine and eleven million tons of rock.
π₯ If that doesn’t make you want to see this in person… I don’t know what will.
β¨ Save this video, follow for more epic destinations, and when you’re ready to explore this world — let me plan your next adventure.
π© Message me and let’s turn your bucket list into boarding passes.
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