The Crazy Horse Memorial is a large mountain carving under way near Crazy Horse, South Dakota, in the Black Hills region of the United States. It honors Crazy Horse, the Oglala Lakota warrior, and is still being carved, so visitors see a monument in progress rather than a finished work.
What to expect
The memorial is a granite mountain sculpture, and its scale is the first thing most visitors notice. Once completed, it is meant to be the largest mountain carving in the world. Because work continues, the figure and its surroundings change over time, which gives a visit a sense of watching something unfold across years rather than seeing a fixed monument.
The site is set up as an attraction, with a visitor area from which the carving can be viewed. Its address is 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, SD 57730, and the contact number is +1-605-673-4681. It is worth checking with them before you travel, as details of visitor access may change.
Planning your visit
- Allow time to look at the carving from the viewing area and take in its scale against the mountain.
- Think of it as a place to learn about Crazy Horse and the Oglala Lakota, and about the memorial's ongoing construction.
- Combine it with other stops in the Black Hills, which lie within reach of the memorial and offer further landscapes and sites to explore.
For many travelers, the appeal lies in its scale, its subject and the fact that the work is still happening. It suits anyone interested in monuments, Native American history or large-scale public art, and it makes a memorable stop on a journey through South Dakota.