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The world's largest mountain carving,
located in the Black Hills of South Dakota

Pictorial History of Carving the Face

history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 1
1987 Ruth Ziolkowski in front of the upper 70 feet of Crazy Horse’s “face” before detail work began on the nine-story-high face.		 history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 2
April 1990 Detail work and “polishing” had revealed much of the forehead.		 history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 3
February 1991 Work had begun on the eye openings and the nose was beginning to take rough form.		 history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 4
June 1991 The 33′ forehead had been shaped and the oval of the right eye was cut.
history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 5
August 1993 Crazy Horse’s nose emerged in space during this famous blast, with eyelids shaped and pupils simulated.		 history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 6
July 1994 Blasting continued on the left cheek with the nose and cheekbones shaped and work beginning on the lips.		 history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 7
August 1996 A 31-foot-long stone pillar was “shaved” off the face in this 54-borehole blast as work progressed to the chin.		 history of the carving of Crazy Horse Monument 8
1998 Participants in the annual Volksmarch give size perspective to the completed face, dedicated June 3, 1998.