# Mount Rushmore Society

> Mount Rushmore Society is the nonprofit philanthropic and retail partner behind much of the visitor-facing machinery at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Founded by an act of Congress in 1930, it turns donations, memberships, events, park-store purchases and investment income into films, seasonal rangers, youth programs, trail work, theater renovations and long-term sculpture monitoring. Its unusual advantage is a closed loop: the visitor who buys a book or rents an audio tour helps pay for the educational and preservation work that made the visit worth having.

- **Founded:** 1930
- **Headquarters:** Rapid City, United States
- **Products:** Mount Rushmore Bookstores and online shop, Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Tour: A Living Memorial, Audio Tour, Membership, Philanthropic project funding
- **Notable:** Raised $25 million through the Mount Rushmore Preservation Fund, helping catalyze $56 million in visitor-facility improvements., Financed a $17 million parking facility, operated it for 20 years and transferred it to the National Park Service debt-free in 2016., Repaid more than $750,000 in congressional appropriations for 1950s visitor-center, amphitheater and gift-shop construction.

## Products & services

- **Mount Rushmore Bookstores and online shop** — Mission-related books, educational products and souvenirs sold at park stores and online; purchases support interpretation and education at the memorial.
- **Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Tour: A Living Memorial** — A 29-stop GPS-enabled multimedia rental offered in English, Spanish, German, French and Lakota, with audio description and an integrated Junior Ranger Quest.
- **Audio Tour** — A $6 recorded guide with narration, music, interviews, sound effects and historic recordings, usable throughout the developed memorial area.
- **Membership** — Annual support with store discounts, public-lands bookstore benefits, communications, event invitations, a decal and a membership pin.
- **Philanthropic project funding** — Campaigns and restricted gifts for films, theaters, sculpture monitoring, rangers, youth education, trails, cultural programs and visitor facilities.
- **Mount Rushmore: Carved in Stone** — A new visitor-center film paired with renovated projection, sound, seating and theater infrastructure.
- **Voices of America** — A donor-supported amphitheater film used in the 2026 Evening Lighting Program to explore the memorial through varied American perspectives.

## Achievements

- Raised $25 million through the Mount Rushmore Preservation Fund, helping catalyze $56 million in visitor-facility improvements.
- Financed a $17 million parking facility, operated it for 20 years and transferred it to the National Park Service debt-free in 2016.
- Repaid more than $750,000 in congressional appropriations for 1950s visitor-center, amphitheater and gift-shop construction.
- Raised $325,000 for the Youth Exploration Area and $200,000 for Blackberry Trail rehabilitation.
- Donated $500,000 over five years for sculpture preservation and long-term rock monitoring.
- Transferred nearly $1.4 million to the National Park Service for two new interpretive films.
- Provided $1.15 million in direct park support in 2025, equal to more than 10% of the park's annual operating budget according to its impact report.
- Received the National Park Service Partnership Award in 2019.
- The 2008 self-guided tour received a National Park Service Director's Award.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — The Society supported Mount Rushmore's three-day Independence Day and U.S. 250th-anniversary program, including cultural demonstrations, interpretive programming, military concerts and the July 3 fireworks celebration.
- **2026-05** — Voices of America debuted in the nightly Evening Lighting Program, funded by the Society, its donors and the South Dakota Department of Tourism.
- **2026-02** — Applications opened for the paid Kay Jorgensen Interpretive Internship, which includes a stipend, housing and transportation.
- **2025-12** — The Society closed a year in which it invested $1.15 million directly into the memorial despite a reported 40% reduction in park staffing.
- **2025-05** — Mount Rushmore: Carved in Stone premiered for Memorial Day weekend after the Society helped fund a $676,000 package of theater renovation and film work during 2025.

## Links

- Website: https://mountrushmoresociety.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mount-rushmore-society
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mtrushmrsociety
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MountRushmoreSociety

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Last updated: 2026-09-21