Everyone knows everything there is to know about our world-famous Mount Rushmore National Monument and who built it, who is on it, and why it was built, but did you know that this iconic landmark is also home to a secret tunnel? Whether you did or did not, read on as we check out this super secret spot that was recently called one of the greatest places in America:
As you probably already knew, Mount Rushmore was built between 1927 and 1941 by father and son team Gutzon and Lincoln Borglum, but what you may not realize is that there is more to this landmark than just its 4 pretty faces.
Featuring a 35-foot-tall, 75-foot-long chamber, the tunnel was built by Borglum as a tribute to the monument, and as a place to store such important documents as the Declaration of Independence and stories of the area.
Sadly, Gutzon Borglum's plans never came to fruition (mostly due to a lack of funding from Congress) and today the tunnel remains empty, minus an intricate vault and marker engraved with a quote from Borglum.
Interestingly enough, the last public visitors known to even visit the tunnel were Borglum's descendants in 1998.
Why are we shedding light on the tunnel? Fox News' Brian Kilmeade recently cited his picks for the greatest places in America and named the Mount Rushmore chamber as his number one choice.
As per Kilmeade, "Today many people are questioning America’s greatness. Viewing the Mount Rushmore National Memorial — known as the Shrine of Democracy — will reaffirm what many of us believe: that America is an exceptional nation with exceptional people who strive and achieve great things. And one of those great things is the incredible carving of Mount Rushmore."
