After a several-year hiatus, South Dakota is hosting a fireworks celebration for the Fourth of July at one of America’s most recognizable landmarks – the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
This year’s event will be held on July 3. Above the carved stone faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln – four notable early United States presidents – fireworks will burst in the sky with dramatic flair. The National Park Service (NPS) says attendees can expect “educational programs, patriotic tributes, and musical entertainment” in addition to the fireworks. The event will run between 4 and 10 p.m. Mountain Time (MT).
The ticketed July 3 celebration is being presented by NPS and the State of South Dakota. Only American residents are eligible to attend – and a government-issued photo ID, such as a valid license, State ID, passport, or green card will be mandatory for anyone 16 or older to enter.
Recreation.gov states: “As part of the Administration’s commitment to enhancing access for American residents, this lottery and event are open to U.S. residents only.” The government further notes that attendees will have to undergo mandatory “security screening” to enter this year’s Mount Rushmore Independence Day fireworks event.
Officials have scheduled the ticket lottery to be open from 8 a.m. MT April 8 through 9:59 p.m. MT April 12. Those who try their luck at scoring tickets will be informed April 14 via email regarding whether they can attend. There will be a $1 non-refundable “application fee” to enter the lottery.
What Else Is There To Know About The Fireworks Celebration At Mount Rushmore This July?
NPS announced the return of the Independence Day fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore in early March. The last time the national monument had fireworks for the Fourth of July was in 2020. At that time, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was the governor of South Dakota, a position she held from 2019 through 2025. President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania, were at the 2020 event.
At that fireworks showcase, President Trump said, “There could be no better place to celebrate America’s independence than beneath this magnificent, incredible, majestic mountain and monument to the greatest Americans who have ever lived.”
This year’s fireworks at Mount Rushmore fall just ahead of the 250th anniversary of America severing from British rule and adopting the Declaration of Independence, which took place July 4, 1776.
