Best July 4th Fireworks
Mount Rushmore, SD
Perhaps America’s most dramatic setting for fireworks is sculptor Gutzon Borglum’s Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where some 12,000 folks gather each July 3 (to avoid conflicts with other celebrations). Rigging the fireworks is a unique challenge for pyrotechnics company Zambelli’s; workers hoist 3,000 shells up the rock carving’s face via pulley, then lower them into the canyon behind the monument. The effect? Fireworks seem to appear out of nowhere and illuminate the faces of presidents Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincoln—breathtaking indeed.
Where to View: The memorial park’s Grand View Terrace and amphitheater are ideal spots—but both fill up by mid-morning, so plan to arrive soon after the parking garage opens, at 7 a.m. Bring a cushion for the amphitheater’s wood-plank seating or a folding chair for the Grand View Terrace.
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