Rhoden, other officials donate money to turn lights on at Mount Rushmore
Monument has been dark since federal government shutdown
Gov. Larry Rhoden said he personally donated funds to keep Mount Rushmore illuminated after a federal government shutdown forced the lights at the national memorial to go dark.
“Mount Rushmore is a symbol of freedom – and I refuse to let its light dim!” Rhoden said in a statement Saturday. “Even when Washington shuts down, American freedom will keep shining bright right here in South Dakota. Thank you to the Mount Rushmore Society and the National Park Service for working with us to bring this vision to life. I am proud that the faces of our great presidents will continue to shine bright and serve as a beacon of freedom!”
Rhoden’s donation will cover lighting for the next week at the memorial honoring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Several others have pledged to continue funding illumination if the shutdown persists.
Those donors include Marilyn Oakes, in memory of her late husband Arthur Oakes, whose donation will cover lighting for days eight through 10. Other donors are:
Day 11: Rep. Mike Derby;
Day 12: Majority Leader Scott Odenbach;
Day 13: Sen. Helene Duhamel;
Day 14: Rep. Steve Duffy;
Day 15: Sen. Randy Deibert;
Day 16: Rep. Mary Fitzgerald;
Day 17: Rep. Tim Goodwin;
Day 18: Rep. Trish Ladner; and
Day 19: Rep. Curt Massie.
Rhoden has received additional pledges to extend lighting beyond the 19th day of a shutdown if needed, the governor’s office said.
The federal government shutdown for non-essential services stated Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats and Republicans couldn’t agree on a shot-term funding proposal.
The cost to illuminate the memorial is $30.94 a night, Rhoden Spokeswoman Josie Harms told The Dakota Scout.
“Gov. Rhoden was made aware that the evening lights at Mount Rushmore had been turned off since the shutdown, and he took action to light up our great memorial as soon as he heard this news,” Harms said in a text message. “The lights will be turned back on beginning tonight thanks to his funding.”
According to the National Park Service, the sculpture is illuminated from sundown until 9 p.m. from Oct. 1 to March 9. From March 10 to May 22, the monument is lit from sundown until 11 p.m.
During peak tourist season from May 23 to Sept. 30, the monument is lit until 11 p.m. and there is also a nightly lighting program and history lesson.
“During the summer months join a park ranger in the park’s outdoor amphitheater for an inspirational 45-minute program focusing on the presidents, patriotism and the nation’s history,” the Park Service says on its website. “Beginning with a ranger talk, this program continues with the film “Freedom: America’s Lasting Legacy” (captioned) and culminates with the lighting of the memorial.”
The Mount Rushmore Society, the memorial’s official nonprofit partner, facilitated the transfer of funds in cooperation with the National Park Service.
“This collaboration reflects the enduring commitment of individuals and communities who care deeply about preserving and promoting this national treasure,” said Diana Nielsen, CEO of the Mount Rushmore Society.
The society has worked for nearly a century to support preservation and educational programs at the memorial, which draws more than two million visitors each year.
More than 2.4 million people visited the monument in 2022, according to an NPS report. They spent more than $385 million in area communities, money that supported 5,694 jobs in the area.
Thirty bucks a night to keep the lights on? Wow, those nine Republican legislators must have some really deep pockets to make their pledges. Now if Noem hadn't wasted $230,000 of state money on her asinine fireworks litigation a few years ago, SD could have paid to keep the lights on for 21 frigging years. Do the math. God this is all such stupid political posing. "Look at me, I'm a patriot." There are so many more important things to worry about than lighting up a bunch of stone.
Two observations—first, since January 2025, the National Park Service has lost approximately 24% of its permanent workforce, which translates to around 1,000 employees. Additionally, about 5,500 positions were proposed to be cut under the Trump administration's budget request for Fiscal 2026. All of those cuts have impacted the National Park Service ability to both serve and protect our National Parks. As the article notes, Mount Rushmore generates a significant amount of jobs and revenue for South Dakota—this is true of the NPS overall.
Our National Parks make money—even with no cuts in personnel, they make money. Cutting the NPS is not about efficiency or trimming fat from government. It’s foolish and short sighted and motivated primarily by those who seek to make our parks vulnerable to private exploitation. Consider President Trump has approved the Ambler Road project, a 211-mile road that will run through Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska, allowing access for mining operations. This decision imperils the environment and threatens wildlife, particularly caribou migrations. It’s all about the money for our Grifter in Chief.
Second observation, lighting this monument at a cost of $39 a night is some nice “we’ll never let the light of freedom go out in SD” theatre, but that’s all it is. When Rhoden and Republican leadership are ready to reverse these fiscally irresponsible cuts to the NPS, that will be worth praising, but I’m not holding my breath as long as there is money to be made by exploiting our national parks resources.
As one of the Presidents carved into Mount Rushmore said, "...the time has come to inquire seriously what will happen when our forests are gone, when the coal, the iron, the oil, and the gas are exhausted, when the soils shall have been still further impoverished and washed into the streams, polluting the rivers, denuding the fields, and obstructing navigation.” Looks like this administration intends to find out.