Mount Rushmore is an iconic site which, even if you haven’t seen in-person, is immediately recognizable. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors make the journey to South Dakota to marvel at this vision of America. But despite this almost incessant attention, few people realize that behind the massive Presidential carvings is a hidden room. Here’s more on how this national secret that’s been hiding in plain view:
It sounds like something from a movie: America’s most secret documents hidden behind Mount Rushmore. Yet this was exactly what was intended by the monument’s creator, Gutzon Borglum.
South Dakota/flickr
Worried that his work would decline in importance, the artist envisioned a room behind Lincoln’s head where notable records could be kept.
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The project was eventually approved, but Borglum was asked to focus on the sculpture first. After 14 years, Mount Rushmore was completed in 1941.
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Borglum never saw the completion of this Hall of Records, which happened in 1998, decades after he’d passed away.
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And yet his vision, in its entirety, lives on.
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Inside the room, a wooden box is tucked away which holds the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Borglum’s biography, and a brief description of Presidents featured.
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The documents are kept in a titanium vault and for added protection, this room is sealed by a half-ton slab of granite.
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The Hall of Records is inaccessible to tourists; however, the knowledge that this room even exists will certainly enhance your visit to Mount Rushmore.
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For more information about the building of this secret room, watch the short video below:
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Craig Bennett/flickr
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What are your thoughts on Mount Rushmore’s hidden room? Be sure to share with us!
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