There's a tunnel hidden behind Lincoln's head on Mount Rushmore.

U.S. History

M ount Rushmore is one of the United States' most recognizable landmarks, but it contains a hidden secret: a 70-foot-long tunnel located behind Abraham Lincoln's head. The tunnel was created as the entrance to a Hall of Records conceived by sculptor Gutzon Borglum. The idea was to build a chamber inside the monument that housed important documents such as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which would be accessible by an 800-foot granite stairway that stretched up the mountain from Borglum's studio to the chamber. Work began on the Hall of Records in July 1938 as crews constructed the 70-foot tunnel. However, in 1939, Congress halted work on the chamber and instructed Borglum to focus on carving the presidents' heads instead. Borglum died two years later in 1941, effectively putting an end to the side project and leaving the Hall of Records unfinished.

Almost 60 years later, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society brought part of Borglum's vision to life, installing a box at the chamber's entrance containing 16 porcelain enamel panels. The panels explain the story of the United States and include biographies of the presidents featured on Mount Rushmore. They were sealed beneath 1,200 pounds of granite capstone as an homage to Borglum's initial vision.

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By the Numbers

Percentage of Mount Rushmore that was carved using dynamite

90%

Height (in feet) of George Washington's head on Mount Rushmore

Did you know?

The Lincoln Memorial contains a misspelled word.

On May 30, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in a grand ceremony on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall. The project was an incredible investment, costing around $2 million to build (more than $36 million today). Construction lasted eight years and required 38,000 tons of marble. Despite all the time and effort, one mistake went unnoticed: The word "FUTURE" was accidentally etched into the marble as "EUTURE." The error is found in the text of Lincoln's second inaugural address, which is carved into the north wall of the monument. The extra line was corrected, but the slightly off-colored stone is still visible today.