Allow at least 2.5 - 3 Hours.
Who was Henry Standing Bear?
Henry Standing Bear was an Oglala Lakota Chief who invited sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to carve a memorial honoring all North American Indians.
How do I pronounce Korczak Ziolkowski?
Korczak Ziolkowski [core-chalk jewel-cuff-ski] is the sculptor of Crazy Horse.
What year did Korczak Ziolkowski come to the Black Hills?
1939 – Korczak Ziolkowski, a noted New England sculptor, first came to the Black Hills to help Gutzon Borglum on Mount Rushmore. That year Korczak also won first prize for his Carrara marble portrait, “PADEREWSKI, Study of an Immortal,” at the New York World’s Fair. Chief Standing Bear read news reports of Korczak’s achievements and invited him to create a mountainous tribute to the North American Indians.
When did Korczak officially return to start the monument?
May 3, 1947 – Korczak Ziolkowski returned to the sacred Black Hills to create a monument of Crazy Horse. He came at the invitation of Chief Henry Standing Bear
When was the first blast on the Mountain?
June 3, 1948 – First blast on the Mountain. Five survivors of the Battle of the Little Bighorn attended.
What is a "production blast"?
In our environment, the production blast refers to drilling and blasting techniques that remove many tons of rock from the Mountain at a time. Production Blasts move the 20-foot high face on the bench back toward finished grade at 6 to 8 feet per blast. At about twenty feet from finished grade, we start to transit from production blasts to smaller less powerful blasts, and finally to rock removal by hand – to preserve the integrity of the finished surface we are working toward.
What is the Memorial's mission?
The mission of the 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 continuing the progress on the world’s largest sculptural undertaking by carving a Memorial of Lakota leader Crazy Horse; by providing educational and cultural programming; by acting as a repository for American Indian artifacts, arts and crafts through the INDIAN MUSEUM OF NORTH AMERICA® and the NATIVE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL CENTER ®; and by establishing and operating the INDIAN UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA® and when practical, a medical training center for American Indians.
What are the mineral components of the Mountain?
Crazy Horse Memorial is being carved in the Black Hills, which are among the earth’s oldest geological formations, by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and the family of Korczak & Ruth Ziolkowski the rock from the Mountain contains many minerals. All of the individual mineral, rock & gemstones found on the Mountain form what is called pegmatite granite.
- Tourmaline- a group of several closely related minerals, which is black in color.
- Iron (Oxidized)- a chemical compound composed of iron and oxygen, also known as rust.
- Garnet- a group of minerals that form a gemstone red in color.
- Feldspar- a group of rock minerals that make up 60% of the Earth’s crust, often pink or white in color and chalky in texture.
- Quartz- a very common mineral that occurs in nearly all mineral environments.
- Mica (Muscovite)- a group of minerals forming thin transparent layers and well known for its shine, glitter and sparkle it is often found in granite rock and slate.
- Beryl- a mineral composite with gemstone varieties including emerald. The beryl on the Mountain is a greenish-yellow color variety.
- Pyrite (Fool’s Gold)- a brass-yellow mineral with a metallic luster.
How many visitors come to Crazy Horse?
The Crazy Horse Memorial complex is open year-round and work continues on the Mountain throughout the year! We are proud to host over ONE MILLION visitors per year!
Did you know?
- Crazy Horse Memorial is the world’s largest Mountain Carving in progress.
- Korczak Ziolkowski married Ruth Ross Thanksgiving day, 1950
- Korczak and Ruth had 10 children, five girls, and five boys.
- Four of the 10 children and many of the 23 grandchildren still work on the project.
How is the Memorial financed?
The Memorial does not accept federal or state funding. The project is financed by admissions and contributions.
