Mount Rushmore
Near Keystone, South Dakota
This granite sculpture was designed by American artist Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941). Trained in Paris and a friend of Auguste Rodin, Borghum’s work was carried on by his son Lincoln after the artist’s death. The portrait busts or heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are 60-feet high and carved into a mountain named for a famous New York lawyer.
The Mount Rushmore National Park is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day, December 25. While admission is free, each car is charged a $10 parking fee.
The Statue of Liberty
New York City, New York
Almost unknown is the full name, The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. Lady Liberty, as she is affectionately known, was a gift to the United States from the people of France in 1886 as a congratulatory gift on the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi the Statue of Liberty has a copper clad exterior, and the internal structure was engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, famed Eiffel Tower designer. The Statue of Liberty with it’s base stand 305 feet tall.
The Statue of Liberty is in a National Park that is open every day of the year except Christmas Day, December 25. While entry to the Statue is free, you must pay a ferry fee to get to the Island where Lady Liberty resides. Ages 13 and over $12, Senior Citizens age 62 and over $10, Children ages 4-12 $5, Children under the age of 4 may ride for free.
Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain has the largest bas relief in the world and measures 90 by 190 feet. The work of art is of Confederate Civil War leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Apparently this large work of outdoor sculpture was conceived by C. Helen Plane (of the Daughters of the Codfederacy) and then designed and partially executed by Augustus Lukeman, after Gutzon Borglum (of Mount Rushmore fame) left because of creative differences. Because of lack of funding Stone Mountain remained partially carved well into the 20th Century and was completed in 1972 by Walker Kirtland Hancock.
Stone Mountain Park is open every day of the year. Adults age 12 and up $25, Children 3-11 $20, Senior Citizens and Military $22, Children under the age of 3 are admitted free.
Cadillac Ranch
Off Interstate 40 near Amarillo, Texas
The Cadillac Ranch was created in 1974 by artists Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of an art group known as the Ant Farm. This whimsical roadside attraction is perhaps the least-heavy work of outside art on this list. Cadillac Ranch is comprised of an unknown number of older Cadillacs that have been buried nose-first in an angle that is said to mimic the angle of the Great Pyramid of Giza. If you have to ask, “What does it mean?”, Cadillac Ranch is a commentary on the American love of the automobile, the roadside attraction and consumerism.
This piece of outdoor art is absolutely free and open to the driving-by public year round. You will want to make a note of the GPS coordinates to make sure you find this unique piece of Americana.
The St. Louis Gateway Arch
St. Louis, Missouri
The St. Louis Gateway Arch was built near the beginning of the famous Louis and Clark expedition, which got it’s start from Thomas Jefferson. This amazing piece of architectural art was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. The St. Louis Gateway Arch was built between 1963 and 1968. This inverted steel catenary arch is 620-feet tall and 630-feet wide at its base. Touristst can ride a tram to an observation tower at the top of the arch.
The St. Louis Gateway arch is a part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The St. Louis Jefferson Arch is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. To take the tram to the top of the arch the fess are as follows: Adults 16 and up $10, Youth ages 13-15 $7, Children 3-12 $3.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse, South Dakota
The Crazy Horse Memorial was begun by Polish-American sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski (1908-1982) and Lakota Indian Chief Henry Standing Bear in 1948, to honor the heritage of North American Indians. To this day, the memorial at Thunderhead Mountain remains a work in progress. When completed, the Crazy Horse Memorial will be the largest sculpture in the world at 641-feet wide and 563-feet high.
The Crazy Horse Memorial appears to be open most anytime, but you may want to visit their website or call first to make sure they are open. Entrance fees are as follows: Adults $10, Carloads $27 (you decide which works best for you.) Children under the age of 6 are admitted free. Motorcycles and Walkers/Bikers $5. Admission is free to Native Americans, military personnel with active-duty ID, Boy and Girl Scout troops in uniform, and to all residents of Custer County, South Dakota.
Washington Monument
Washington, DC
Rising a little over 555-feet tall, this graceful sand-colored obelisk was built to commemorate the first American President George Washington. Designed by American architect Robert Mills (1781-1855), the Washington Monument was begun in 1848 but not completed until 1884. Visitors may climb 897 steps or take the elevator to the top of the monument.
The Washington Monument is open every day of the year except the 4th of July and Christmas Day, December 25. Tickets for this memorial are absolutely free. The ticket window opens at 8:30am though the line is known to start forming as early as 7:30am. Get there early as tickets are given on a first come, first served basis and only 6 tickets at a time may be distributed.
Vietnam Memorial
Washington, DC
Designed by Chinese-American artist Maya Lin (b. 1959), this war memorial revolutionized the design of war memorials forever. Built in 1982, the Vietnam War Memorial is made up of two long black granite walls that are over 246-feet in length and between eight inches and ten-feet high. The names of the Vietnam War dead and those missing in action, have been etched into the reflective surface of the granite using the Optima typeface.
The Vietnam War Memorial is open everyday of the year, 24 hours a day and admission is absolutely free.
The Lincoln Memorial
Washington, DC
The Lincoln Memorial was built to honor the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln. The classical building housing the sculpture was designed by American architect Henry Bacon, and the statue of Lincoln was created by Daniel Chester French (1850-1931). Etched onto the inside of the building are two of Lincoln’s famous speeches, and the Memorial was built between 1914 and 1922. The Lincoln Memorial was famous for being the site of the Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, given in 1963.
The Lincoln Memorial is open everyday of the year, 24 hours a day and admission is absolutely free.
Roden Crater
Arizona
The Roden Crater is the brainchild of American artist James Turrell (b. 1943) and lies in a dormant volcano crater in the Painted Desert of Arizona. Not expected to open until 2011, this crater is currently being transformed by James Turrell into a unique astronomical observatory and artistic place of transformation. No, you can’t go there yet but based on the previous work of this ethereal artist, this outdoor artwork is worth waiting for.
