The secret room hidden behind Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is one of the most-recognisable landmarks in the world, but few people know about the secret the famous monument has been harbouring for decades.
The sculpture, which famously depicts former US Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln as 60 foot granite faces, was constructed between 1927 and 1941 under the direction of architect Gutzon Borglum.
But few people know about the secret project Borglum was working on.
It’s now been revealed that Borglum originally intended the image to be much larger, and depict several important moments in US history in addition to the four presidents. And while the government abandoned these plans because they were too complicated, they did let the architect work on a secret project behind Honest Abe’s head.
In addition to the sculpture, Borglum had intended to create a secret chamber behind the face of Abraham Lincoln, originally intended to house important documents like the Bill of Rights as a way to tell the story of the US to future civilisations.
Borglum died before he could see his project through, but the secret chamber was eventually completed in the 90s. It now contains several panels of American history including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as well as a biography of Borglum in a teakwood box that has been locked in a titanium vault.
If you’re thinking of performing your own Indiana Jones-esque expedition to view the documents you’re out of luck though. The location of the Hall of Records is too difficult for tourists to visit.
To see pictures of the secret room scroll through the gallery above. Have you ever visited the US and admired the sight of Mt Rushmore?
Let us know in the comments.
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