2 minute read
Carving a Dream
Crazy Horse Memorial ® 12151 Ave. of the Chiefs, SD 57730 7a.m.-10:30p.m. 605-673-4681
Be a part of history in the making as you visit Crazy Horse Memorial—the world’s largest Mountain Carving in progress.
Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski had been asked by Chief Henry Standing Bear through written correspondence to come to the sacred Paha Sapa (Black Hills) to carve a memorial in the likeness of Lakota Warrior, Crazy Horse, honoring all Indigenous peoples of North America. Crazy Horse had been killed at Fort Robinson in 1877. In his letter to Korczak, Henry Standing Bear wrote, “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, also.”
In May of 1947, Korczak started the project with only $174. Labor-intensive tasks included hand-drilling holes for the dedication blast and the countless blasts that followed. Later, he built a 741-step staircase, which he climbed several times daily— often to restart “Buda,” the air compressor at the bottom that powered his drill. Despite weather that could make work difficult, Korczak continued the monumental endeavor yearround (weather permitting).
Photo © Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation
Located north of Custer at 12151 Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse Memorial is hard to miss as you drive along Highway 16/385.
A Family Legacy
From the beginning, Ruth (Ross) Ziolkowski supported Korczak in the realization of the Dream assisting in multiple facets. The two even went to the extent of outlining the sculpture on the Mountain with six-foot-wide white lines, using 164 gallons of paint, to help visitors envision the future. With Mountain measurements and binoculars in hand, Ruth directed construction by radio from the Visitor Center parking lot while Korczak worked from a rope nearly one mile away, painting on the Mountain.
1948
the first blast on the Mountain took place. Among those in attendance were five survivors of the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Details for Your Visit
Fees and Donations:
The project, founded and operated on a strong belief in free enterprise, is funded by visitor entrance fees and donations and does not accept government funding.
Don’t Miss Inside:
Inside the 40,000 square foot Welcome Center is where the storytelling begins. Two theaters show the must-see 20 minute video “Dynamite & Dreams”.
THE INDIAN MUSEUM OF NORTH AMERICA ® , the visitor complex, and the scale models.
The Mountain Carving Gallery focuses on the Mountain Carving, featuring a short video of current tools and carving work.
