Mount Rushmore has a secret vault behind Abraham Lincoln’s face that few people know exists

The Hall of Records Behind Lincoln’s Head (South Dakota)

Mount Rushmore hides a secret room few people know about. Behind Abraham Lincoln’s carved face sits an unfinished chamber cut into the granite mountain.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created this space to store important American documents like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

He wanted future generations to understand the history and values of American democracy even thousands of years later.

Borglum’s Original Vision of a Grand Repository

Borglum planned a huge room measuring 80 by 100 feet inside the mountain. This chamber would hold bronze and glass cabinets filled with America’s most important historical documents.

He also wanted to include busts of famous Americans and lists showing how the United States contributed to science, industry, and art. This vault would help explain American democracy to people in the distant future.

How a Failed Inscription Led to the Hall Plan

Before planning the Hall of Records, Borglum wanted to carve the shape of the Louisiana Purchase into the mountain. Inside this outline, he planned to list nine major events in American history from 1776 to 1906.

This idea failed for two reasons. Text carved into the mountain would be too small to read from below. Also, after moving Thomas Jefferson’s face due to poor rock quality, Lincoln’s head needed to use the space meant for the inscription.

The Monumental Entrance Design

The entrance to the Hall would stand 20 feet high and 14 feet wide with glass doors leading inside. A huge bronze eagle with wings spreading 38 feet would sit above the doorway.

Words carved above the entrance would read “America’s Onward March” and “The Hall of Records.” This grand doorway aimed to match the impressive scale of the presidents’ faces while marking the importance of the documents stored inside.

Breaking Ground in July 1938

Workers started blasting into the mountain in July 1938. They used dynamite to create the initial tunnel behind Lincoln’s head, then cleared the rock with jackhammers and chisels.

The Hall of Records work happened while carving continued on Theodore Roosevelt’s face. Borglum divided his attention between finishing the presidential sculptures and creating his vision for this hidden historical vault.

The Ambitious Access Plan

Borglum designed an 800-foot stairway made of granite to reach the Hall of Records. This staircase would start near his workshop at the base of the mountain and climb all the way up to the canyon behind Lincoln’s head.

Like many parts of the Hall of Records plan, the staircase never moved beyond the planning stage. Time ran short and money ran out before this grand access route could be built.

Government Concerns Halt Progress

In 1939, the federal government ordered Borglum to stop work on the Hall of Records. Congress wanted him to focus only on finishing the presidents’ faces since they provided most of the money for Mount Rushmore.

Work on the Hall officially stopped in July 1939. Officials made Borglum redirect all resources to completing the main monument, leaving his grand chamber plan unfinished and its future uncertain.

What Workers Had Accomplished by 1939

Before work stopped, crews managed to blast a 70-foot tunnel into the mountain behind Lincoln. This rough passage narrowed at its deepest point, forming just the entrance portion of Borglum’s planned hall.

Marks from dynamite and jackhammers still covered the walls of the unfinished chamber. The tunnel stood as a partial glimpse of what Borglum hoped would become a vast hall preserving America’s founding documents.

Borglum’s Continued Advocacy

Even after the government stopped the project, Borglum kept pushing for his Hall of Records throughout 1940. He promised to finish the chamber despite official opposition and money problems.

His plans grew bigger even as resources shrank. Borglum believed the presidents’ faces alone didn’t tell the full story. He insisted his repository was needed to explain their importance to future generations.

Borglum’s Unexpected Death in March 1941

Gutzon Borglum died suddenly on March 6, 1941, in Chicago. The 73-year-old sculptor had complications after surgery and never recovered. His death came just months before Mount Rushmore was completed.

Borglum never saw his monument finished or his Hall of Records built. His passing removed the main champion of the repository idea and left the project’s future in doubt.

Lincoln Borglum Takes Over

After his father died, Lincoln Borglum took charge of Mount Rushmore in March 1941. The younger Borglum focused only on finishing the presidents’ faces rather than continuing work on the Hall of Records.

Lincoln worked with the existing team to complete the facial details. Work on Mount Rushmore officially ended on October 31, 1941. The monument was declared complete despite the unfinished chamber behind Lincoln’s head.

Visiting Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dakota at 13000 Highway 244. The memorial is open all year except December 25, when buildings close but grounds remain open. Hours vary by season.

The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center runs from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm in winter and 8:00 am to 9:00 pm in summer. A $10 parking fee covers unlimited visits for one year, with discounts for seniors.

The Presidential Trail offers close-up views of the sculptures along a 0.6-mile loop. Other attractions include the Sculptor’s Studio, Lincoln Borglum Museum, and evening lighting ceremonies (May-September).

Ranger programs run throughout summer with talks on the memorial’s history and creation.

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