Fireworks will explode over Mount Rushmore this July in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, marking the first Independence Day light show at the South Dakota monument in five years.
The park will be closed to the public on the evening of July 2 and will reopen in the afternoon the next day to those with tickets, with festivities scheduled to take place from 4 to 10 p.m.
“In just a few short months, our nation will throw the biggest birthday party ever for the United States of America,” South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden shared. “South Dakota is the freest state in a nation founded on the principles of freedom, so it is only fitting to celebrate in our backyard. We look forward to celebrating at the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial!”
Fireworks had been a regular feature in the Black Hills park, but were previously suspended from 2010 through 2019 due to concerns about wildfire risks in the surrounding forest.
Mount Rushmore last hosted an Independence Day pyrotechnics display in July 2020, when they were briefly brought back by then-Governor Kristi Noem.
Dr. Jenifer Chatfield, deputy assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, said Monday that the agency and South Dakota officials “are excited to reinstate” the light spectacle once again.
“We invite the public to enjoy the show and reflect on our nation’s remarkable journey and the great patriotic leaders who established, preserved and expanded our country’s destiny,” Chatfield shared.
