Click to enlarge Crazy Horse Memorial Dimensions

Over the past 50 years (1975-2025), we have visited Crazy Horse Memorial Mountain Sculpture, the largest sculpture in the world. in Custer, South Dakota on various trips. First East to West, when we lived in Central New York, then since 1995, West to East, now that we live in Colorado Springs. We have visited the original home of the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski and the ever-expanding museum. We have been inspired, enthralled and awed by his story.

1975 (June 28) - Cathy and Joe R. visit while on vacation from Central New York

2001 (June 2) - Cathy, Joe R. and Joe A. visit while on vacation in South Dakota from Colorado Springs

2002 (June 1) - Cathy, Joe R. and Joe A. visit on a stop while driving cross-country from Colorado Springs to Central NY. We hike to the top on the Volskmarch.

2018 (May 18) - Joe R. and Joe A. visit while on the Sound of Silence Tesla Rally in Custer, SD

2019 (May 18) - Joe R. and Joe A. visit while on the Sound of Silence Tesla Rally in Custer, SD

2025 (June 21) - Cathy, Joe R., Joe A. and Holt visit on a trip from Colorado Springs and take a bus tour to the top

Korczak Ziolkowski, a Polish immigrant to the U.S. and already famous sculpture, was an associate sculptor on Mount Rushmore and was approached by Chief Standing Bear in 1948 who said: :My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes too". Thus started the project of carving the Native American hero, Crazy Horse, on a mountain in the sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. The project was dedicated on June 3, 1948 and Korczak began working on the mountain starting then and completely on his own for the better part of 16 years. He single handedly hauled packs of dynamite on his back as he climbed up the mountain to begin shaping the stone to his plans and plaster model. He eventually built wooden stairs to make his several trips a day a bit easier,

While working on the mountain sculpture, with the help of his wife, Ruth, he hand built his home on the property, ran a dairy farm to make money to support the project and had 10 children! As time went on and the project became known, he accepted private donations to fund the project. He refused to take any government money. As the project became a popular tourist destination, they charged admission for the public to visit, which also helped fund the project. In later years, wealthy benefactors contributed larger sums of money which help buy more and larger equipment to accelerate the progress.

Korczak died on Oct. 20, 1982 at age 74, but left extensive plans and blocked-out the sculpture on the mountain so his family could continue the work. Until her death on May 21, 2014 (age 87 years), his wife Ruth supervised the massive project along with the help of most of their 10 children, who continue to work to this day. With the help of increasing major private donations in recent years, progress on the sculpture has dramatically accelerated. In may 2025 they installed the largest crane in the U.S. bolted into the rock on the left side of the sculpture. View more recent photos at their website at: CrazyHorseMemorial.org and their FaceBook page at: Facebook.com/crazyhorsememorial.

• Crazy Horse is the largest 3D sculpture in the world.
• When the opening under the arm is finished full-size, all of the Mount Rushmore carving would fit inside it.
• The statue is 563 ft. high, the feather on top is 44 ft., the head is 87.5 ft. high, the arm is 227 ft. long. the hand is 33 ft; long.
• The horse's head is 219 ft. high, The mane is 62 ft. high and the opening under the arm will be 110 ft. wide by 100 ft. high.
• The 1/34th scale plaster model was made in 1964-65 by the original sculpture, Korczak Ziolkowski, and weighs 16 tons. It is 1 mile distant from the mountain.
• Korczak worked briefly as an assistant sculptor on Mount Rushmore

Cathy & Joe R.