Mount Rushmore National Memorial/NPS

Visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota on July 3rd and July 4th will have the opportunity to experience a variety of educational programs, patriotic tributes, and musical entertainment in celebration of Independence Day.

Planned events include presidential re-enactors representing the four presidents on the sculpture: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. The presidential re-enactors will kick-off the park’s celebration on July 3rd at 9:30 a.m. with an in-character news conference in the Carvers’ Marketplace. Visitors are encouraged to bring questions for the presidents to the event.

At scheduled times, the presidential re-enactors will give presentations, sign autographs, and mingle with visitors on the Memorial grounds. Also performing throughout the day will be internationally renowned hoop dancer Jasmine Pickner-Bell, Native flutist and storyteller Sequoia Crosswhite, and Native storyteller Darrell Red Cloud.

July 3rd events will culminate with a special evening program beginning at 7:30 p.m. featuring a hoop dance performance by Jasmine Pickner-Bell and a musical performance by the U.S. Air Force Academy Band from Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Ellsworth Air Force Base Honor Guard will assist the Flag Folding Ceremony and Retreat; Col. Derek Oakley, the 28th Bomb Wing Commander at Ellsworth AFB, will introduce the band; and the Lakota Flag Song will be performed by Darrell Red Cloud.

July 4th daytime visitors can enjoy the presidential re-enactors and Native performers, ranger-led programs, and the traditional Evening Lighting Ceremony.

Visitors wishing to avoid the busiest times are encouraged to visit the park before 10 a.m.

There is no fee to visit the Memorial, however there is a $10 parking fee. Active duty military personnel will park for free and parking for seniors is half price. Keep the parking receipt as it is valid for one year of parking.

For a complete listing of the 2023 Independence Day schedule of events please visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial’s event calendar.