Mount Rushmore National Memorial Visitor Center and Plaza Paver System Rehabilitation Pennington County, South Dakota

Poor drainage affects us all—even American presidents. At Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a potent combination of water intrusion and freezing winters damaged the Avenue of Flags walkway and deteriorated the inside of the park’s visitors center.

Designing a Lasting Visitor’s Center for a National Monument

In rehabilitating the visitor facilities for the National Park and upgrading building components to be more energy efficient, the historic monument aims to provide a lasting location for quality visitor experiences. Outside the facility, designers developed a new pavement system to better manage drainage and resist deterioration from the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle. With this Otak led design, the result is a safer visitor experience that reduces operating costs and, like the presidents’ sculpted visages, will last for years to come.