Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour

See one of America’s most iconic landmarks up close and delve deep into its complicated history! You’ve seen Mount Rushmore in photos, but seeing it in person is something else entirely, as this towering monument to America’s past is truly incredible to behold.

This tour of Mount Rushmore begins at the Mount Rushmore Information Center, right next to the monument’s parking lot. From here, you’ll walk toward the mountain itself. Along the way, you’ll stop at a memorial to Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor behind this incredible feat, and learn about his unusual history. Then you’ll walk down the Avenue of Flags, draped with the flags of US states and territories. After that, you’ll arrive at the main viewing platform, where you’ll have a perfectly clear view of Mount Rushmore. Here, you’ll discover how this unlikely project got off the ground in the first place. Next, you’ll head to a second, less-crowded viewing platform, where you’ll hear how workers actually carved this rugged mountain into the presidential faces you see today.

Finally, you’ll loop back around toward the main viewing platform and hear about the controversy that swirled around Alfred Hitchcock’s filming of North by Northwest at this monument. Your tour ends at the conclusion of the Presidential Trail, just steps away from the main viewing platform.