When Will Crazy Horse Be Finished?
What has been carved, what is left, and the newest estimate from the people doing the work
Updated: October 22, 2026 | Added the CEO's October 2026 horse's head estimate
Quick Answer: When will Crazy Horse be finished?
There is no completion date. The face was finished in 1998, 50 years after the first blast. In October 2026, the memorial's CEO said the horse's head could be done within 10 years if work keeps its current pace. The full carving, 563 feet high and 641 feet long, will take longer than that.
The latest estimate (October 2026)
On the Dakota Town Hall podcast, Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation CEO Whitney Rencountre II said the horse's head is potentially on track for completion within the next decade, as reported by the Rapid City Post on October 16, 2026. That is an estimate for one feature, not for the memorial. The same report puts the finished face at about 1.7% of the overall carving.
“The Mountain Carvers continue saw cuts, averaging one cut per day, many of which are on Crazy Horse's Upper Arm on the back side of the Carving.”
What is carved and what is left
Measurements are from the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation; status is from its timeline and carving notes.
| Feature | Size | Status (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Crazy Horse's face | 87 ft 6 in tall | Finished, dedicated June 3, 1998 |
| Outstretched arm | 263 ft long | Roughed out; finish work in progress |
| Pointing hand and finger | Finger 29 ft 6 in | Carvers detailing the hand by hand tools |
| Opening under the arm | 70 ft wide | Tunnel broke through to daylight in the late 1960s |
| Horse's head | 219 ft tall | Next major goal; benches (access roads) cut since 1999 |
| Complete carving | 563 ft high, 641 ft long | No completion date set |
Why is it taking so long?
The size. The finished carving will be 563 feet high and 641 feet long. The horse's head alone, at 219 feet, is taller than three Mount Rushmore faces (about 60 feet each) stacked on top of each other.
The money. At the first blast in 1948, Korczak Ziolkowski promised the memorial would be a nonprofit project paid for by the public, not with government tax money, according to the foundation's timeline. The work moves at the pace of admissions and donations.
The finish work. Blasting removes rock fast, but the detail cannot be blasted. Since 2012 the crew has worked on the hand, arm and mane with saw cuts, stainless steel dowels and hand tools. The foundation describes the work on the left hand as time consuming and meticulous.
A change of plan. Korczak started on the horse's head. After his death, Ruth Ziolkowski moved the crew to the face in 1988 so visitors would have a finished feature to see. That gave the world the face in 1998, and sent the crew back to the horse's head afterward.
Crazy Horse carving timeline
- 1939: Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear writes to sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski asking for a memorial to Native American heroes.
- 1948: First blast on Thunderhead Mountain on June 3. Korczak pledges the project will be funded by the public, not tax money.
- 1982: Korczak dies at 74. His wife Ruth takes over using the three books of measurements they drew up together.
- 1988: Ruth shifts the crew from the 219-foot horse's head to the 87.5-foot face so visitors can see a finished feature.
- 1998: The face of Crazy Horse is finished and dedicated on June 3, the 50th anniversary of the first blast.
- 1999 on: Crews blast 20-foot benches, which work as access roads, up toward the horse's head.
- 2012 on: Finish work starts on the outstretched hand and the horse's mane, much of it done by hand.
- 2026: CEO Whitney Rencountre II says the horse's head could be complete within 10 years if work keeps its current pace.
Seeing it while it is still in progress
The unfinished carving is the point of a visit: you see the face, the arm reaching out, and the outline of the horse in the rock below. The memorial is open every day of the year. Our Crazy Horse Memorial guide has current hours and admission, Mount Rushmore vs Crazy Horse helps if you only have time for one, and hotels near Crazy Horse compares the two closest towns, Custer and Hill City. Crazy Horse is 17 miles from Mount Rushmore, so most people see both in a day; our Black Hills itinerary shows how, and is Mount Rushmore worth it? helps if you are deciding between them.
Crazy Horse completion FAQ
When will Crazy Horse Memorial be finished?
No one knows, and the foundation has not set a date. In October 2026, CEO Whitney Rencountre II said the horse's head, the next major feature, could be finished within 10 years if work continues at its current pace. The rest of the 563-foot carving would come after that.
Is Crazy Horse finished?
No. Only the face is finished. It was dedicated in 1998, 50 years after the first blast. Crews are now detailing the hand and arm and working toward the 219-foot horse's head.
How much of Crazy Horse is done?
The finished face is about 1.7% of the full carving, according to the memorial's CEO in 2026. Much more rock has been removed than that number suggests, because the arm, hand and the benches leading to the horse's head have been roughed out.
Why is Crazy Horse taking so long?
Three reasons: its size (563 feet high and 641 feet long), the fact that sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski pledged it would be paid for by the public rather than tax money, and the slow pace of finish work, which crews do with saw cuts averaging about one a day and hand tools.
Can you visit Crazy Horse while it is being carved?
Yes. The memorial is open every day of the year, and the work in progress is part of the visit. See our Crazy Horse Memorial guide for current hours and admission.
Sources: Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, The Mountain and Pictorial Timeline, read October 22, 2026; Rapid City Post, October 16, 2026. The foundation publishes no completion date.