Liebherr Tower Crane Powers Crazy Horse Memorial
In the Black Hills of South Dakota, a large memorial depicting Oglala warrior, Crazy Horse, has been under construction since 1948. Crazy Horse, a renowned war leader of the Oglala band of Lakota Sioux, defended his homeland and played a crucial role as settlers expanded westward into Native American territories, including during significant battles such as the Powder River Campaign, Red Cloud’s War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Today, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation (CHMF) is continuing the work on the Crazy Horse Memorial, a 501(c)(3) educational and humanitarian project. And to advance the world’s largest mountain carving honoring Crazy Horse they have been collaborating with Liebherr USA, Co. and Morrow Equipment Company.
While progress on the Crazy Horse Mountain carving continues to be made daily as carvers focus on refining details, sculpting presents multiple large-scale obstacles. For example, one of the primary challenges facing the project is and always has been limited accessibility.
Methods used in the past include a combination of road development, carving work benches and working from ropes. Additionally, the site requires immense heavy equipment, including large construction machinery and a recently acquired 15,000-pound robotic arm, which will assist with sculpting.
Ideal Solution
Moving large equipment to many parts of the work site had been challenging at least or nearly impossible. Then, in 2023, Caleb Ziolkowski, chief mountain officer of CHMF, engaged in a conversation with Morrow Equipment Company to discuss the scale and ambition of this monumental project. Inspired by the vision, Morrow recognized that the Liebherr 1000 EC-H 40 top-slewing tower crane was the ideal solution to transform material accessibility on this massive mountain carving jobsite.
“I originally met Caleb Ziolkowski at ConExpo 2023 and discussed the possibility of using a tower crane to complete the Crazy Horse Memorial,” said Peter Juhren, president of Morrow Equipment Company. “I visited the site to see the monument firsthand and to discuss the crane that would be needed. Utilizing the Liebherr 1000 EC-H 40 top slewing tower crane, the crew on the site can now handle materials faster and utilize higher lifting capacities essential for this large-scale project.”
The Liebherr 1000 EC-H 40 top-slewing tower crane is ideal for large construction sites handling high lifting capacities and can be adapted to the individual requirements of the crane operator and project. Equipped with multiple intelligent assistance systems and with a slim, modular design, the top-slewing crane from Morrow can adjust to any specific requirement necessary for the Crazy Horse Memorial. The current crane at the mountain site has a more than 262-foot jib and offers a more than 213-foot hook height.
The tower crane is a game changer for not only moving the heavy robotic arm, but also large equipment such as excavators, dozers and drills, Juhren noted. Additionally, the crane opens the possibility of removing large blocks of granite without the need to break them apart. Granite is a sought-after building material providing the memorial many future building opportunities.
Family Affair
The Crazy Horse Memorial project began when Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote a letter to sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski asking him to carve a mountain in the likeness of Crazy Horse to honor his commitment to his people and his courageous leadership. Ziolkowski accepted, dedicating his life to see the Crazy Horse Memorial come to fruition. He, his wife Ruth, and their ten children worked and lived where the sculpting of Crazy Horse Mountain was taking place and the operations of the Visitor Center became a family affair.
The Crazy Horse Memorial is planned to reach an impressive 641 feet in length and 563 feet in height. The carving’s outstretched left arm will span 263 feet long with an extended index finger measuring 29 feet 6 inches. The face of Crazy Horse, completed in 1998 under the direction of Ruth Ziolkowski, stands 87 feet 6 inches tall, more than 27 feet higher than the heads of the U.S. Presidents on Mount Rushmore.
In 2025, with the tower crane on site, the Liebherr, Morrow and Crazy Horse teams met again to discuss planning and operations at the Crazy Horse Memorial.
Presently, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation Board of Directors, Crazy Horse Memorial management and staff, as well as second and third generation Ziolkowski family members continue the mission to complete the world’s largest mountain carving. The Crazy Horse Memorial including the mountain carving in progress is funded solely by admissions and private donations.
“We are fully aware that it is the mountain that first engages the public,” Della Burns, CHMF board director said. “Visitors bring their curiosity, are awed by what they experience and they leave inspired. The crane will move our timeline forward at a more rapid pace and we are so grateful to Liebherr and Morrow for joining us in this vision.”
“As Korczak’s grandson, it’s hard to put into words the humbling nature of involvement in this undertaking,” said Caleb Ziolkowski. “It started long before my birth and will be visited for thousands of years after I’m gone. Billions of people will see the art we create. That brings some pressure as well as motivation. As always, progress takes effort, perseverance and time, but the nobility of the mission and awe-inspiring nature of the carving are more than worth it.”
