Mount Rushmore National Memorial Webcam
Check out the new live web cam at Mount Rushmore.
Unless you live in the raring metro area of Keystone, SD, the drive up to Mount Rushmore is more then you want to do just to discover it is raining. So have a look at the sidewalk in real time to learn what the weather rock tells you.
If the sidewalk is wet, it is raining. If there are tons of tourist there, its a normal day at Mount Rushmore and you can go climbing and have tons of fun.
Like most webcams, it will be pretty boring for most, but for rock climbers coming in from Rapid City or elsewhere its nice to have a real time image.
Here is the official press release.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial News Release
Partnership results in live webcam at Mount Rushmore
(Keystone, SD) – As a result of a partnership forged between the National
Park Service and South Dakota Public Broadcasting, people worldwide are now
able to log on http://www.sdpb.org/webcams/mtrushmore.aspx and see live
webcam pictures of an American icon, Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
The National Park Service was contacted by SDPB officials in the summer of
2010, with a proposal to install a new state of the art webcam on the
Memorial grounds, replacing the existing obsolete camera. The camera was
installed at the Memorial last fall, and was recently launched providing
live real-time pictures to internet visitors. SDPB provided the camera and
hardware, and Mount Rushmore provided fiber connection and cooperative
technical staff support.
The primary focus of the webcam is to enhance educational programming at
the Memorial. The Memorial’s Interpretation staff plan to incorporate the
webcam into their school visits. They will be able to log on the website
from the classroom and “go live to Mount Rushmore” showing students webcam
pictures of the Memorial. Interpretation staff will also have the
capability to remotely adjust the webcam’s picture and provide virtual
tours to the students directly from the classroom. The webcam includes the
capacity to get up close and personal with the Presidents, with the ability
to showcase one entire Presidential face at a time. As a courtesy, a
banner sign on the webcam will inform internet visitors when the webcam is
being used for educational purposes. The majority of classroom visits by
Interpretation staff will occur during the winter months, minimizing
inconvenience to webcam visitors.
The webcam will also serve as an informational resource for anyone who is
interested in current weather conditions at the Memorial. By simply
logging on, a person will have a real-time picture of the sculpture, which
can help determine if the weather is conducive for a visit. Please note
that the first time internet visitor may be prompted to install supporting
software.
Officials at both organizations are enthusiastic about the informational
and educational opportunities presented by the webcam’s presence on the
Memorial grounds.
“We’re happy to assist the National Park Service in providing this tool
that will not only attract tourists, but can also be used by educators as
part of their educational outreach initiatives,” said Kent Osborne,
Director of SDPB Online.
According to Mount Rushmore Superintendent Cheryl Schreier, this
partnership is a win-win situation, ”Mount Rushmore, our visitors, and
schoolchildren from all across the area, will certainly benefit from this
technology, and South Dakota Public Broadcasting will have the opportunity
to showcase their incredible online services. We will continue to explore
the vast number of opportunities that exist via
this webcam, and continue to enhance the educational programming offered at
Mount Rushmore.”
The camera will be operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access
the webcam, log on: http://www.sdpb.org/webcams/mtrushmore.aspx
South Dakota Public Broadcasting is a statewide multi-media network
offering quality entertainment and lifelong learning via Television, Radio,
Internet and Education & Outreach. For information about SDPB and the
Friends of SDPB, go to SDPB.org or call 800-456-0766.
