Fireworks over Mount Rushmore

Fireworks explode over Mount Rushmore. (Photo courtesy of South Dakota Tourism)

There’s no better place to celebrate the nation’s independence than the Shrine of Democracy, Mount Rushmore. And there’s also no better place to see a Fourth of July weekend fireworks show.

“The sight of fireworks lighting the night sky above Mount Rushmore is an experience that stays with people for a lifetime,” Diana Saathoff, executive director for the Mount Rushmore Memorial Society, said in a recent Office of Tourism news release. “You can see in the faces of young and old alike the awe of the scene and the incredible sense of patriotism it inspires.”

Mount Rushmore National Memorial will host its 12th annual birthday part for America on July 3. In addition to the firing of thousands of fireworks shells, the celebration will include aircraft fly-overs, music, dances, historic re-enactments, children’s shows and a ceremony for World War II veterans.

The fireworks show will be broadcast to media outlets all over the country via a live satellite feed. In 2008, more than 30,000 people witnessed the event in person and another 53 million people watched the pyrotechnic display on television.

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Great Faces. Great Places.

South Dakota is an incredibly unique state in that each region offers a completely different experience then the others. Check out each of the regions to see what each has to offer!

Badlands

Western South Dakota

Featuring the Black Hills, Badlands, the Sturgis Rally. This region tends to be the most popular.

CENTRAL REGION

This region of South Dakota offers some of the best hunting and fishing in the entire central US. 

Eastern Region

The eastern region is home to the largest city in the state and provides visitors with a true "prairie" experience.