Free to enter, no ticket required, and the only cost is $10 vehicle parking
Updated: November 7, 2026 | Winter hours rechecked against NPS: grounds 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., visitor center 8 to 5
There is no entrance fee and no ticket to visit Mount Rushmore. The memorial is free to enter, and the only charge is $10 for vehicle parking, $5 for seniors. Through March 9, 2027 the grounds are open 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The visitor center is open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through October 31, then 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from November 1, and it closes only on December 25.
Do You Need a Ticket to Visit Mount Rushmore?
No. Mount Rushmore has no entrance fee and requires no ticket for a general visit; it is free to enter. The only charge is $10 for vehicle parking ($5 for seniors age 62 and older). There is no gate, no admission line, and no ticket to buy to see the carving. The ticket price is $0 and the parking price is $10 ($5 for seniors), paid once and good for a full year.
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Mount Rushmore Memorial Shared Tour from Rapid City, South Dakota
Shared tour · 5h
Viator snapshot: 5.0/5 (9 reviews)
Route and experience details
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved into Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Completed in 1941 under the direction of Gutzon Borglum and his son Lincoln, the sculpture’s roughly 60-ft.-high granite faces depict U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The site also features a museum with interactive exhibits.
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From USD 164
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We would pick you up from your Rapid City hotel at 6:30-6:45 pm in 7 or 12 passenger van depending on if we have others going. It is a 45 minute drive to Mt Rushmore. You would have half an hour to get to the amphitheater to get a seat for the program that starts at 8:00 pm. There is a 10 minute Ranger Talk about some topic about the 4 presidents. After the talk is a 20 minute video about the growth of the country in relation to the 4 presidents. At 8:30 pm, the Star Spangled Banner is sung and the lights go on the faces. Veterans and military are invited to the stage to help retire the flag and be honored. It is about a 45 minute program. We do have blankets for you in your vans if it is a chilly night. But, plan on bringing a jacket as it cools off once the sun goes down. We would get you back to Rapid City around 9:45 pm.
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From USD 100
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No. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a free memorial with no entrance fee and no admission ticket for general visits. Unlike many national parks, there is no gate where you pay to get in and no per-person charge to walk the grounds, view the carving from the Grand View Terrace, or hike the Presidential Trail.
First-time visitors often search for Mount Rushmore tickets or an entrance fee expecting a checkout step, but there is nothing to buy in advance to enter. The only money you will spend on arrival is the parking charge, covered in the next section.
Bottom line: entry is free for everyone, every day of the year. Budget only for parking, and optionally for a guided tour, food, or a souvenir once you are there.
Mount Rushmore Parking Fees
Parking is the only cost of a Mount Rushmore visit, and it is charged per vehicle rather than per person. Here is what you will pay in 2026.
$10 per private vehicle
The standard rate for a car covers the whole vehicle, no matter how many passengers are inside.
$5 for seniors (age 62+)
Seniors age 62 and older pay a reduced rate of $5 per vehicle. Active-duty military park free, per the parking concessioner, Xanterra.
Your parking ticket is valid for one full year
A Mount Rushmore parking ticket is good for one full year of unlimited entry from the date of purchase. If you visit again within 12 months, keep your receipt and you will not pay parking a second time. That makes return trips, such as coming back for the evening lighting ceremony, effectively free.
National Parks passes do not cover parking
Because Mount Rushmore has no entrance fee, federal passes cannot be used to waive the parking charge. The America the Beautiful and National Parks annual passes, the Senior Pass, Military Pass, Access Pass, and Every Kid Outdoors pass are all fee-waiver passes for park entrance, and there is no entrance fee here to waive. You still pay the $10 parking charge with any of these passes.
The $10 rate covers cars, motorcycles, and RVs alike. Commercial tour buses pay $50 and verified nonprofit school buses pay $25, per the official parking page.
Mount Rushmore Hours: What Time It Opens and Closes
The memorial grounds are open every day of the year, but opening and closing times shift with the season. From March 10 through September 30 the grounds open at 5:00 a.m. From October 1 through March 9 they open later, at 6:00 a.m., and close at 9:00 p.m., two hours earlier than in summer. If you want to be first in the lot at 6 a.m., a Keystone hotel puts you about 3 miles away.
Season
Grounds Hours
Notes
November 1 to March 9
6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Winter grounds hours
March 10 to September 30
5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Peak-season grounds hours
October 1 to October 31
6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
October shoulder hours
Hours at a glance: from October 1 through March 9 the grounds open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. The 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. schedule returns March 10. Overnight parking is not allowed. All times are Mountain Time. Source: NPS operating hours.
The Evening Lighting Ceremony
The sculpture is illuminated nightly year-round, but the formal evening Lighting Ceremony is seasonal. It runs nightly from late May through September 30 and is included with your parking. The start time changes after the first week of August.
The 2026 Program Season Ends September 30
The final ranger-led evening lighting program of 2026 is Wednesday, September 30. From October 1 the sculpture is still lit every night, from sunset to 9:00 p.m., but there is no ranger talk, film, or veteran recognition until the program returns in late May 2027. A fall or winter visit after dark still shows you the lit faces, just without the ceremony.
If seeing the ranger-led program is important to you, arrive with time to find a seat in the amphitheater before the start time above. From October 1 to late May there is no formal ceremony.
Timing tip: because your parking ticket lasts a full year, you can visit the memorial during the day, leave, and return for the ceremony the same evening without paying again. Staying in Keystone near Mount Rushmore makes the after-dark trip easy.
Fall and Winter Facility Hours
Building hours step down on October 1, again mid-October, and again on November 1. The Sculptor's Studio is closed from October 1 until late May. Here is what to expect from October through winter. Deciding which month to go? See the best time to visit Mount Rushmore, including what changes after October 1.
Facility
Oct 1 - 14
Oct 15 - 31
From Nov 1
Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sculptor's Studio
Closed for the season (reopens late May)
Gift shop
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Carvers' Café
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What changes on October 1
The evening lighting program ends. The faces are still lit from sunset to 9 p.m., but there is no ranger-led ceremony.
The Sculptor's Studio closes for the season.
Grounds close at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m., and building hours shorten through October and again in November.
On December 25 the grounds stay open, weather permitting, but every building is closed. The gift shop and café close at 4 p.m. on December 24 and 31.
The grounds open at 5:00 a.m. from March 10 through September 30 (6:00 a.m. the rest of the year), and the early morning and evening are the least crowded times to visit. Arriving by around 8:00 a.m. means near-empty grounds and open parking. By 10:00 a.m. the memorial is crowded, and midday around lunch is the peak, when the parking structure can fill in July.
For America's 250th anniversary, a ticketed fireworks event took place on July 3, 2026, and the memorial closed to the general public the evening of July 2 through July 3. Those closures have been lifted and normal hours and access resumed on July 4. The hours and fees listed above are current.
No. Mount Rushmore National Memorial has no entrance fee and requires no ticket for a general visit. It is free to enter. The only cost is parking, which is $10 per private vehicle and $5 for seniors age 62 and older.
How much does it cost to visit Mount Rushmore?
The memorial itself is free to visit, so the only cost is parking. A private vehicle pays $10, and seniors age 62 and older pay $5. That parking ticket is valid for one full year of unlimited entry from the date of purchase, so a repeat visit within 12 months costs nothing extra.
How much is parking at Mount Rushmore?
Parking is $10 per private vehicle and $5 for seniors age 62 and older. The ticket is valid for one full year of unlimited entry from the date of purchase. The same $10 rate applies to cars, motorcycles, and RVs; commercial tour buses pay $50. Active-duty military park free.
Can I use my National Parks pass at Mount Rushmore?
No. Because there is no entrance fee, the America the Beautiful and National Parks annual passes, the Senior Pass, Military Pass, Access Pass, and Every Kid Outdoors pass cannot be used to waive the parking fee at Mount Rushmore. The $10 vehicle parking charge applies regardless of any pass you hold.
What time does Mount Rushmore close?
The grounds and parking structure close at 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time from October 1 through March 9, and at 11:00 p.m. from March 10 through September 30. Buildings close earlier: the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center closes at 6:00 p.m. through October 31 and at 5:00 p.m. from November 1. Overnight parking is not allowed.
What are the Mount Rushmore visitor center hours?
The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center is open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from October 1 to 31, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily from November 1 to May 21. It is closed on December 25, when the grounds and parking stay open, weather permitting.
Do I need a reservation or timed ticket for Mount Rushmore?
No. There is no reservation system and no timed entry for a general visit. You drive up, park in the structure, and pay the parking fee.
Is Mount Rushmore open on Sunday, and is it open today?
The memorial is open every day of the year, Sundays included. Grounds and parking close at 9:00 p.m. from October 1 through March 9. Check the NPS hours page on the day of your visit, because weather can close the road or parking structure.
Is Mount Rushmore open in November and winter?
Yes. The grounds are open daily with the same 9:00 p.m. closing through March 9, and the visitor center runs 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from November 1. There is no evening lighting ceremony in winter, and the buildings close on December 25. For the rest of the region, see Black Hills in December.
What time does the Mount Rushmore lighting ceremony start?
The evening Lighting Ceremony begins at 9:00 p.m. from late May through August 9, then at 8:00 p.m. from August 10 through September 30. The last ranger-led program of 2026 is September 30. From October 1 to late May the sculpture is still illuminated after dark, but there is no formal ceremony. The ceremony is free with your parking.
