As President’s Day is approaching, I am reflecting on the special Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony. I’ve been lucky to have visited the memorial twice in the last few years, and both times at night. But last year we got to experience their lighting ceremony for the 1st time. If ever in the area, this is an experience you don’t want to miss!
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a must-stop near Rapid City, South Dakota. And we’ve made stops here twice on road trips across the country. The 1st was with my son Drew in December Driving from Washington to Florida in 5 Days. On a coast-to-coast road trip you have to make some interesting stops! The unplanned 2nd stop was on The Long Way Home From Montana To Florida in July. And that time Becky, her mom Gigi and our daughter got to see it for the 1st time.
Mount Rushmore Information
Mount Rushmore is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the country outside of Washington, DC. As it has the carved heads of 4 of the nation’s most important presidents. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved into the granite face. And these presidents represent the nation’s birth, growth, development and preservation. This famous sculpture has been popularized in many movies and TV shows. You can read more about it at: Mount Rushmore National Memorial (nps.gov).
We’ve stayed in Rapid City, South Dakota both times we visited the memorial and recommend staying here. It’s just off I-90 and located 23 miles away from Mount Rushmore with plenty of hotel options. From this city, you turn onto Mt Rushmore Road which takes you straight to the monument. It’s an easy 30-40 minute drive depending on where you stay in Rapid City. But don’t waste time on the drive, use GuideAlong. This GPS narrated audio tour gives you great information about Mount Rushmore and the surrounding area on the way. If you want to know about the history and construction of Mount Rushmore, this is for you. Check out their $19.99 bundle: Black Hills, Rushmore, Devils Tower & Badlands National Park Tours.
If you want to stay closer, the small town of Keystone is less than 10 minutes to the memorial. However, in the off-season, the whole town including hotels, tourist attractions and even gas stations are completely shut down. So, plan accordingly. But if I spent more time here I would still stay in Rapid City. There are so many other things to do and see in the area, and being closer to the highway is convenient.
When to see the Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony
Though Mount Rushmore is open at night all year round, not everything is open in the off-season. The 1st time we visited the memorial at night in December, we had the place to ourselves. But everything was closed and they did not have a lighting ceremony. Though the mountain is still lit up and still a neat experience. You can read more about that experience here: Mount Rushmore National Memorial At Night.
The evening lighting ceremony takes place at sunset and in December that’s really early. But in the summer time that’s about 9:00PM. So the ceremony takes place at sunset nightly from Memorial Day weekend through September each year. Check out the hours before you go here. The lighting ceremony takes place in the outdoor amphitheater in front of the monument. Just plan time to get here early to get there and get seating.
Getting to the Lighting Ceremony
Once you arrive at the entrance gates, you will have to stop to pay for parking. Though Mount Rushmore and the lighting ceremony are free, it’s $10 which includes everyone in your vehicle. Once through the gates, you will need to find a spot in the garage. We recommend trying to find a spot close to the exits. There are stairs and elevators to get to the top at the far side. Once out of the parking garage, you can see stairs to the front entrance.
At the entrance is their Information Center & Bookstore which has passport stamps and the normal things you can buy. There are also rangers that offer information and free wheelchairs to borrow. We got one last time to give Gigi a rest while we walked around the monument. And from here you walk through the Avenue of Flags to the Grand View Terrace.
The walkway ends at the Grand View Terrace which is a great spot to see Mount Rushmore. But from here you have to take stairs or the elevator down to the Lincoln Borghum Visitor Center below. At the visitor center you can also get passport stamps and check out the displays. They also have a 14-minute movie explaining the process for creating the memorial. And outside is the park’s outdoor amphitheater where the lighting ceremony is held. It took us about 30 minutes from garage to the theater, but take your time and enjoy the views.
The Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony
The show promptly starts at 9:00 when a ranger walks out to the lighted stage. The inspirational show focuses on the presidents, patriotism and the nation’s history. And the ranger delivers a moving speech for over 10 minutes. He talks about America’s freedom of speech and how important it is to forming the country today.
He is followed by the film “Freedom: America’s Lasting Legacy”. This film explains a lot about the construction and history of Mount Rushmore. Some parts are from the movie in the visitor center and may seem repetitive. So, you can skip that movie for the ceremony. It also talks about the presidents and their lasting legacy in the Black Hills here.
And right at 9:30PM, the president’s faces light up in the darkness. Seeing the monument to the 4 presidents during the day is amazing. But seeing them lit up at night is as special as the ceremony. You can’t help but leave feeling inspired by the monument and the presidents whose faces are immortalized on it.
The President’s Trail
If you want to get a closer look at the monument, check out the 0.6 mile Presidential Trail. I decided to check it out after the lighting ceremony which was completely dark. It also has 422 stairs, mostly down, but it’s not an accessible boardwalk trail even in the daytime. So, I went solo and tried to do it quickly before meeting the others back at the entrance.
And it’s so dark I had to use my phone to see where I was going. But what I could see was the monument up-close and from many different angles. There are about 20 marked spots along the trail including to Sculptor’s Studio, which was closed after the ceremony. But it was neat to see the monument from the different angles along the way.
And after 35 minutes I found myself back to the Grand View Terrace to meet the others. I would recommend doing this trail during the daytime to give more time to read the signs along the way. But if you’re adventurous like me, seeing the monument lit up from the dark trail is still amazing.
Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony Summary
You can stop at Mount Rushmore National Memorial any time of the year, day or night. But stopping before sunset to see the Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony is really special. The moving 30 minute show leaves you feeling inspired about the lasting legacy of this monument in the Black Hills. And seeing the monument lit up at night is awesome to see in person. We strongly recommend the special Mount Rushmore Lighting Ceremony whenever in the area!
Have you been to Mount Rushmore and seen the evening lighting ceremony? Whether you have or not, let us know what you think in the Comments section below.